If you're looking for justice, don't waste your time in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. As a matter of fact, its open season for white police officers who get a kick out of beating up on black women there. Then again, there are also so-called brothers on "the force" who get a kick out of beating up on black women. Like the black LT in Philly who punched the Latina in the face last week.
Philadelphia Police Lt. Who Allegedly Punched Woman On Tape To Be Fired
The difference in what happened in Philly and what happens in Harrisburg is the way these situations are handled. In Philly, the situation was handled as it should be and handled swiftly. In Harrisburg, the situation is never handled as it should be. In Harrisburg, there is a "boiler plate" , "profile" if you will. First comes the disrespect, then comes the beat down, then comes the charges, then come the threats and intimidation, then comes the loss of job or income. Few if any of these women have the resources or the courage to pursue the issue in court, but those who do will find that the last thing to be found in the "kangaroo" courthouses of Harrisburg, at any level, is justice.
Case in point. After enduring 7 years if harrassment and intimindation from the Harrisburg Police for filing a Federal Lawsuit against one its officers, justice was not to be found in Judge Sylvia Rambo's Federal Courtroom today, when an all white jury condoned the actions of Officer Todd Chance in the brutal beating of Community activist, Minister and Managing Editor of the Philadelphia Front Page News (FPN), Diane F White
Schimmel School "Neighborhood Back to School" Block Party
"The writing was on the wall from the door. When I turned around and saw the jury pool walking through the door, there was not a black or brown face in the crowd",. said White, Even before the trial started, there where signs that the judge had every intention of giving the Police every advantage. White had originally filed her case Pro Se. The City of Harrisburg and their "high priced" attorneys from Philadelphia, paid by Travelers, the city's insurance company, by way of the tax payers of Harrisburg, failed to respond in time. But of course Judge Rambo gave them a pass. In fact, Judge Rambo gave them every pass to be given every step of the way, while blocking White at every turn. She must be very proud of herself and what happened in her courtroom today. You had to be there to believe it.
"You know its bad, when I step out of the Federal building during a recess from Judge Rambo's courtroom and run into a woman who I have never met before, on her way to the federal post office. We started talking and she ended up telling me how she had been beaten up by a Harrisburg Police Officer. We keep talking and suspect that we are talking about the same police officer. She went on to the post office and I went back upstairs to the courtroom. A few minutes later the woman gets off the elevator, looks into the courtroom and come back out. yep that's him she says. She was talking about Officer Todd Chance, the same officer who beat me down for no reason.", said White. Officer Chance has a reputation for beating up on women in Harrisburg, disrespecting the community and getting away with it.
There's an old saying, "every dog has its day" Officer Chance has done it it before and in all probability he'll do it again.. Either the Harrisburg Police Department and the Judicial system are part of the solution or part of the problem. When it comes to police misconduct and the assault on women in general and black women in particular, in the City of Harrisburg, they are the problem.
The message was sent loud and clear today, We Protect Our OWN, even when they make a mockery out of their oath, our civil rights and the constitution. After all, justice is blind to the truth in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania when it comes to black women.
For the record, justice is not necessarily found in, for or by white women in America either. They too have been traumatized. Don't forget many sat idly by while their husbands raped the slave men, women.and children.
