In 2014 Ferguson, Mo. made its national debut after the Michael Brown shooting. Instantly Ferguson became a sight word meaning: Unarmed Black man killed by White police officer’s use of excessive force during a confrontation.
For a social media second the word Ferguson was a call to examine excessive force, but minutes later Ferguson was in flames. Rioting and looting went on for days until the governor declared a state of emergency.
In 2015, February, Pasco, Wash. a homeless Mexican man was throwing rocks at traffic and then at police. He was shot and killed by a trio of Pasco officers. (Watch on you tube: Pasco Police Shooting) Officials immediately stated: We don’t want another Ferguson here.
In March, Madison, Wisc. another confrontation between a White police officer and a young Black man ends in the shooting death of the Black. The police chief said he doesn’t want another Ferguson.
The executive director of the Wisconsin Professional Police Association said, “It should be abundantly clear to anyone following this incident that Madison, Wisconsin, is not Ferguson, Missouri.”
But it is Ferguson.
The incidents in Ferguson, Pasco, and Madison can be summarized in the following headline: Civilian cop confrontation leaves unarmed civilian dead.
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