More Silence Following An Police-Related Incident That Would Have Otherwise Gone Viral

Whenever a law-breaking citizen dies in police custody, there is usually no shortage of headlines all over the feeds. Then, there is no shortage of protests, lawsuits and angry crowds coming out to stand up against police brutality and unethical practices.

Keep ya mouth shut!

The Freddie Gray and Sandra Bland cases are just two examples of how law enforcement failed to keep a prisoner from dying while in custody. There was no shortage of headlines about how these cases impacted their corresponding communities. There was no shortage of analyzing why and how their deaths happened after they were apprehended.

Gray, who was arrested for allegedly carrying a switchblade, died from a spinal injury incurred as he was being transported to a prison by Baltimore police. Bland was arrested after being initially being pulled over for traffic violation – but the situation escalated and she was subsequently taken to jail where she hung herself with a garbage bag. How did the police allow these not-so-upstanding citizens to die on their watch?

One case I'm waiting to hear go viral is the local incident where 28-year-old Serge Duthley was arrested for drunk driving following a car accident and, while being held in a cell at the 69th Precinct station, he reportedly choked himself to death with his t-shirt. Is this just another “typical” case of a suspect dying in police custody? I’m sure his family is outraged…I’m sure people here have read the story and are preaching about how “bad” things are…

But where are the protests in our community? Where's the growing Wikipedia page filled with “history” on this story? Okay, so Duthley wasn't exactly trying to escape police custody and driving drunk – as common as it is – is NOT something that residents are going to look passed in this instance.

However, it's odd to me that certain cases make national headlines and cause a nationwide stir, whereas others – like those happening in our small community - go unnoticed. It's as if no one cares! Not that it would help, but crowds have not thus far picketed in front of our precinct. No one has called for local legislation that would protect those in custody from ending or losing their lives as a result of an arrest. Or maybe that legislation is in the works and we're just sitting back and waiting for its debut?

Sure, we can say we care even less when the “bad guy” dies while they're being taken to prison or while they're in prison. I'm sure it's very common for suicides to occur – perhaps the criminal is depressed and feels they're better off somehow taking their own life or hurting themselves instead of going through the legal process.

I'm still curious as to why our small community is so silent after a man was allowed to commit suicide while in a holding cell. Of course, someone has to be held responsible, right? Will his family sue? Will the fact that he was drunk and inebriated play any part in the NYPD defending its own case? Did the arresting officers step away from the cell long enough for Duthley to asphyxiate himself?

There are no groups coming out to march against police misconduct on our streets. As of this week, no one has stirred things up and no one has seemingly cared enough to question the fate of the arresting officers and what part they played in Duthley's death.

Let's get real! We can all chalk it up to “no one cares” - just like I chalked it up to “no one cared” last year when the rape suspect who attacked two women on Canarsie streets remained on the loose. There are no signs of outrage, no demands for “justice” and no crowds hungry for and end to the violence.

If you wonder why Canarsie is left behind...if you wonder why we don't get recognized and why it's become “worse” in our community, it could be because Canarsie streets sound like deserted roads along an abandoned highway. No one makes a sound and whoever passes through is a victim of their own circumstance, and those who do try to create change struggle to get the support needed to make the community livable and safe (hey - whatever happened to the gun buyback program Canarsie was supposed host last year???).

By staying off the “radar” we seem to have very little chance of being heard and making history as a powerful community. I’m not saying we have to have to carry on and be rowdy in the streets and I’m not implying that every incident that happens in Canarsie be blown out of proportion.

Just ask yourself why communities in other boroughs and states come together to stand for something while we quietly let history write itself. The squeaky wheel may get the oil, but we’re letting ourselves get rusty and we have no one else to blame but ourselves…