Seems like another case of rogue cops that think that they can do as they please because they wear a badge. They probably have some racism going on too which would account for their brutality to a man that was handcuffed and couldn’t defend himself. I hope that this case gets more media attention and it forces the DA to press charges against these police. I can’t believe that they can kill a man and nothing happen to them. It’s definitely the good ole boy system at work there for sure!

Looking forward to this report tonight.

Cindy..Ga.

Wow I’m surprised Jackson and Shaprton haven’t piped up about this. I’m sure it won’t be long before they do…..

I understand why these people want the attention–justice must be served!
Why has the media ‘ignored’ this? Thank you David & AC360 for reminding us about it.

This is an OUTRAGE!!! How dare these rogue police officers continually get away with taking the law into their own hands. This person was already “secured” via hand cuffs and on his stomach - he was no threat to these officers. This is a White on Black/Cop on Black crime that has plagued the Deep South (and the rest of this country) since its inception! This is a disgrace and these officers need to be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. This is exactly what MLK Jr. & RFK tried so desparately to defeat in the 1960s. So sad this continues today.

Why would the police need to taser anyone who’s handcuffed and lying on their stomach? A person in that position poses no threat to them. I don’t know what the investigation into Pike’s death will uncover, but it’s certainly not much of a stretch to conclude that these cops were out for some sort of revenge against someone connected to the Mychal Bell case. I hope more attention is focused on this case which seems to indicate that there are still some serious problems in those southern that need to be addressed.

Who cares? Im so tired of people being up in arm whenever some gang banger/drug dealer get whats coming to him! If he hadnt been in trouble with the police in the first place this wouldnt have happened.

Put the responsibilty where it belongs. He made choices that put him in the way of the police. … and he paid the consequences! Period!

I applaud the police. One more scumbag off the street and dealing drugs to our kids!

Story sounds like a bunch of bull……

Yes, let us assume that racism was the motivator right off the bat. I’m sure this had nothing to do with the fact that this man was a crack-head. Were the nine taser attempts excessive? Probably, but when someone is high on drugs, they are not always 100% successful. One of the biggest problems we have with ‘racism’ in this country is the constant calling of wolf.

Just because a black man was killed by a taser, doesn’t mean it was because he was black. It is more likely the police over-stepping their authority and/or a sense of power over others - not racism.

Once again, this is not a racial issue. A DRUG DEALER was beaten by a ROGUE COP…. I certainly agree with Violet, yet I also know Cops can hide behind the badge. This one is a double edged sword. Lets leave race out of it and call it what it was……. Drug dealer V. Police

God forbid your kids make bad choices, Violet. Yes, he committed a crime and should be punished, but it is not up to a police officer to determine, it is up to our courts. These officers should be held accountable for their actions, and punished. I do not applaud them at all.

I agree with Fay, there are still very serious problems with racism. It’s hard to believe that, that kind of ignorant thinking still exist in today’s society.

Put the responsibilty where it belongs. He made choices that put him in the way of the police. … and he paid the consequences! Period!

No one’s condoning what Pike did to get arrested, but when the police cross the line into criminal behavior themselves, they need to be held accountable.

If he hadnt been in trouble with the police in the first place this wouldnt have happened.

It also wouldn’t have happened if the cops who arrested him were doing their jobs properly and not abusing the power of their position, something that all citizens have a right to expect from them.

Rest in peace Baron Pikes. I pray the person that did this to you will be fired, and sentenced to prison for a long time. You’re not here to know it but a similar incident has just happened in North Carolina, and the officer was only suspended for five days, FOR HOLDING THE TASER ON THE YOUNG MAN FOR 38 SECONDS. Attorney’s are working on his case and I believe there were surveillance cameras as well. THANK THE LORD. I’m sick of police inflicting harm on a hand-cuffed man, or worse hand-cuffed and shackled. I’m a white female, that is truly saddened by all the brutality, but please remember all of don’t HATE.

White folks.

who cares let the black drug dealers die how many people were hurt by his crack use

is not a matter of skin color,it `s a matter of clean the streets from human trash,drug dealers,thief,if he wasn`t dealing with these ,i`m sure the story could be different,it`s no easy to play the role of the police,these kind of guys,no matter color or nacionality have to be erased from the earth.
i supprt mrs miller opinion.
thank you very much

I’d just like to say, as a police officer myself I can say there have been several incidents where I need to utilize my tazer on a handcuffed subject. Let me start by saying that I’m in no way defending these officers, nor am I criticizing them. It is unfair and unjust to police to criticize them until you have all facts, just the same as an alleged criminal. I’ll give you a bit of information in regards to the tazer. If you don’t already know, it has two uses. The first and most common is the actual probes that discharge out of the weapon and into the target. The second use is called a drive stun, which is basically the same as a stun gun. Most times if a prisoner is tazed while handcuffed, it is with the drive stun mode. Some prisoners once handcuffed become more of a threat by kicking and spitting at officers. The also tend to kick out police car windows. When they become uncompliant when handcuffed, and are kicking and screaming, many officers do drive stun the individual to stop the resistance. Before you judge what should and shouldn’t be done, ask yourself this question. If you were a police officer trying to secure an individual, would you not use force such as a tazer to stop the resistance as opposed to being spit upon, bitten or kicked? Please recieve all the facts prior to judging.

Re to Violet Miller

You don’t care that the Police MURDERED this young man. How do you know he was guilty? In this country, people are innocent until proven guilty and this right was taken from Baron Pikes together with his life. We don’t know who he was or what he had done, if anything at all. YOU DON”T KNOW EITHER, so keep your racist comments to yourself.
And I hope you’re next in the way of abusive Police force, maybe if you survive you’ll learn something.

Now the way I understand this is that some kid (the one whom was put in the hospital with severe head trauma ?) in Jena hung nooses by the school…. then he gets the hell beat out of him and ends up in the hospital with severe injuries. So the police do their job and make some arrest and jail a kid. The kid whom was arrested and charged with attempted murder kicked another individual while they were knocked out in the head several times. What do you think he was trying to do while kicking him? Wake him up? Give me a break. This kid should be charged. Where is the civil unrest with the fact that the kid who was arrested was trying to do severe harm to a helpless individual? SIX KIDS BEATING THE HELL OUT OF ONE PERSON and you have people claiming that they should not be charged? Where the hell is the common sense in the world today?
Now you have a cop whom abused his power while arresting a felon. Yes he may have stepped over the line, however how many people out there have ever tried to deal with and or restrain an individual while they were “high” on cocaine or crack? It is by no means an easy task, hand cuffed or not. The cops actions should be reviewed there is no doubt about that. We should not jump to conclusions without all of the facts.

Violet Miller, your comments are exactly what reminds us all that the southern style racism of the 60’s era still exists today, you have the type of view that quickly changes once this type of event occurs in your own backyard, when it happens to your son, daughter, nephew, niece, cousin, relative or neighbor you all of a sudden find it to be outrageous. Shame on you for your comments.

Dear Ms. Violet Miller,

I never knew that selling drugs was grounds for execution…I wonder if it were a little fair haired blue eyed young man he would be thought of as “troubled” and offered counseling…

I love how when a criminal is arrested by law enforcement they go from offender to victim the minute they’re picked up.Poor guy,maybe he should have just said “no”to crack.And those wicked cops,they should be counseling these people not arresting them!PLEASE!!!

Black or white, the dude was a crack head. No doubt, there was plenty of provocation for the police actions. Instead of blaming the brave men who brought him in, why not stand behind them. When we stop coddling these thugs there will be change.

this is bull there is a boy thats lives next to me he had the police on a chace well as we know they got him in his yard got him down and hand cuffed then turned the dog loose on him now this boy will have scars on his face for everthe had over 75 stiches yes there needs to be something done we have cops here that beat up people and nothing done as for the family if nothing is done take it to the higher supream corts good luck

Honestly my gut reaction to this is “thank god”. I can’t lie and say I am appalled by the actions of these police officers. This op-ed piece doesn’t divulge details of the criminal’s arrest. For all we know he may have been fighting with police and deserved to be hit with a taser gun 9 times. He could have been hopped up on crack at the time. Honestly we don’t know. Anderson Cooper and his contributors are paid to report stories such as this to incite controversy. It is a ratings game folks.

How would you feel if it had been one of your kids or relatives that happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time and ended up dead like this? Would you still feel the same way? I dont condone this kid selling drugs or whatever it was that he did to make a living - the way I feel - the day he was born he had two strikes against him already - being male and being black - how much had really changed in America - really think about it….these cops need to be held responsible for what they did just like the ones that were finally bought to justice in the killings of some of our civil rights leaders like Medgar Evers, Martin Luther King Jr., etc but mind you only after they were allowed to live a full and prosperous life…..How much has changed - I ask you? Same old BS - different decade. They need to be held accountable - handcuff them and lie them down on their stomachs and taser them and see how they like it….Stop making excuses to justify what they did and continue to do “in the name of justice” - you’re man enough to commit a tradegy - be man enough to face any consequences that are dealt out behind your actions. I ask you again - how much has really changed in America - you’re still hiding behind those masks!!!!!!!!!!!

I’m a 29 year old white male who has spent the last 9 years working 10 hours a day at a straight commission sales job. I have no criminal history for a good reason. I don’t steal, and I haven’t murdered or raped anyone. I also have a driving record free of any collisions or moving violations for the last 9 years. My only 2 confrontations with cops really made me re-think my view of the role they play. One was 2 years ago in Missouri where I was arrested on a DUI charge (I was .086), but ended up being robbed of $364 by the cops at the local jail who even had the guts to crack a joke about “not calling them when the $364 check doesn’t show up in the mail.” My last confrontation with cops happened 50 feet from the entrance to my home in CA. I was pulled over on DUI suspicion (I was 0.7), showered the officer with “yes sir” and “no sir” answers. After doing 10 minutes of road-side Olympics and being surrounded by 4 other officers, the officer who originally arrested me spit in my face. I turned my face to the side after the spit hit my cheek only to see the cops behind me pulling out their night sticks in anticipation of me “fighting back”. Of course I was arrested, and taken to the station without incident, but it was a sad realization of the caliber of people who infiltrate our law enforcement community.

Does anyone else find it curios that these two young men are cousins? I think this goes far beyond racial relations. This family seems angry, if not unfunctional. Maybe, like Carey says, the whole family should be offered some counseling. Would they accept it? They probably would not, feeling that they are not the ones who need the help. Counseling only works if it is wanted and they trust the counselor. But something should be done, with all KIDS who are in trouble.

And I wish people would stop judging the fair-haired blue-eyed child. These children have just as much child abuse, divorce, and neglect in their little lives. Kids are kids. I don’t care what you look like, life can be rough.

I don’t understand how or why people are so prompt to defend an individual that obviously chose to disregard the law. In our great country people have the freedom to make their own decisions and should therefore also have the responsibility to deal with the consequences derived from their decisions. What is so hard to understand about that?

As for the police officers that tazed this individual, I commend them for giving this offender the opportunity to correct his actions by using the tazer instead of their glock. Myself I see it as justifiable action and believe that anyone who will jump on the ‘those rogue cops killed this innocent boy’ bandwagon should take a look around and ask themselves if they would rather just let the criminals go freely to police themselves. Myself- I would not want to live in an area without the protection and great service provided by the polic departments that willingly deal with offenders.

RE DANA

How do you know the police murdered this boy? He may have died from a drug overdose after choking down the rocks he had in his pocket when the police rolled up. You are quick to apply blame for judgement and yet, you have done the same. I would suggest a bit of reflection on your part.

I agree with John Doe - being a police officer is a very hard job and until you’ve done it - it’s so hard to judge until all the facts are known. No one deserves to die in custody but sometimes when the person arrested is so combative that extra force is necessary and if the person’s health is not up to par, a possible consequence is death.

the use of tazers is out of control. The companies that make them have sold the police and the public a bill of goods in saying that they are “non-lethal” force. The number of deaths attributed to tazer use is on the rise. The US Air Force has research that shows that the tazer is not as safe as thought to be. Police departments need to have stricter protocols on the use of tazers. But that won’t happen until wrongful death lawsuits start to cost them millions.

To Violet Miller,bill and others who think similarly,

I acknowledge it seems black youth are in conflict with the law more so than other races,according to the prison statistics i hear quoted on television programs.It’s also true in my opinion,that some blacks would likely not try a correct avenue for a better life if given the opprtunity.Barack obama does have a valid point on issues in the black community.
But for every gangbanger,as you say that got what he had coming to him,a poor deserving black youth yearning for a proper or decent opportunity to prosper in life can be found.

I believe you are racist.I believe there is also a disturbing trend with many(not all)police departments that have been correctly focused upon in the news.

I applaud cnn for their black in america series.I am black and i would also like to see another cnn network devoted to issues of all people of color.

citizen of virginia

I feel sorry for the Grand Jury, it sounds like they may have difficulty coming up with an indictment on this case. What amazes me is the possibility that taser guns could be lethal and that the manufacturers don’t seem to have any facts as to what is considered excessive use. Looking forward to hearing more about this case.

Jolene, St. Joseph, MI

I’m telling you, Chicago is becoming the media/political centre of america. All the police involved were white and racist.

Dayem. If you gonna tased the guy 9 times dead you might as well shot him instead first. Seems like they took pride in torturing whether that person was a criminal or not shouldn’t matter.

I can almost say pulling out a hand gun in this scenario is 9 times safer then the taser. The officers would’ve think twice about pulling any trigger and probably would’ve apprehended the guy and he still be alive. But since they had the taser they used that to torture the guy.

Tasers need to be removed from law enforcements.

This death was classified as a homicide. Wether it was intentional or not, it is still MURDER. This young man did not deserve to die just because he was black or did drugs or whatever lifestyle he chose to live. He deserved his day in court just like anyone else.

a few thoughts from an asian-american lawyer in DC. first, police officers have a difficult job and the vast majority are up-standing and many are heroes. but, lets not deny the suspicious circumstances in this death. there is a long history of discrimination, hate, and killing of african-americans in our country. there are deep seeded fear and hatred from racist idiots. on the other hand there are many young black men that turn to crime due to circumstances. then there are those that turn to crime even though they are privileged. the biggest issue and disadvantage is the lack of black fathers in the household. understand this: people are people. i would turn to crime if my, or my family’s, welfare depended on it. don’t think you are beyond criminal behavior if you were in his shoes. if i’m starving, i’ll fight you to eat. we all have that inner sinful, selfish nature. was he a crack user, dealer? probably, but we don’t know that for sure. were the officers racists? maybe. did they use excessive force? probably, but again we do not know for sure. what we do know is that a young man is dead. in the custody of the police. he was tazed 9 times while handcuffed. that alone is enough for suspension and a full investigation by an independent agency. was he fighting the officers? that’s what the they claim. it’s likely that he was resisting in the beginning, but after the 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th time HE WAS PROBABLY FIGHTING FOR HIS LIFE BECAUSE HE WAS WAS DYING! both sides should not make generalizations of murder on one side, and the crackhead deserved it, on the other. there is definitely a racist element in all of this, for those that don’t see that, you are blind or stupid. someone’s child is dead, have some respect. we need some answers here, and we need them now. possible (in my opinion, probable) criminal behavior needs to be fully investigated and people held accountable. if the officers are innocent, lets find out. don’t drag your feet and don’t sweep this under the rug because he was “just” a black kid suspected of drug possession. 6 MONTHS! THAT IS NOT ACCEPTABLE! it would not have taken 6 months for a white man, that’s a fact

Sadly, I’m no longer surprised by the patriotic, flag-waving Americans who routinely ignore the rights of ALL Americans to be “innocent until proven guilty”. I have personally known more than one person who has been accused of a crime that they did not commit. To refer to people as scumbags, thugs, etc. based on a mere accusation is completely unfair. To further suggest that someone deserved to die before the accusation is proven is frightening.

White, black or otherwise, may it never be one of your loved ones despised as such, convicted and sentenced before even exercising the right of a fair trial. Seems to me that true Americans would rely on the systems that make America great and stop relying on the backwards-thinking, civilian rush to judgment brand of “justice” that is America’s greatest shame.

Scooter wasnt a drug dealer, did not have a record, only arrested 1x for possesion of stolen goods

Another great story posted on the “new” website of ac360.com

Great journalism, keeping “them” honest!!!

My heart goes out to the family. Knowing the very people they pay taxes to for safety and protection, used those funds for torture and murder. I wish MLK was still here. There has to be a better way.

Can anybody tell me what happened to innocent until proven guilty. Every one is saying he got what he deserved, but you know nothing about him. It amazies me how some poeple can say it ok or a bunch of crap. I feel people need to open your eyes. If your not from the ghetto (low income housing) then you dont know how it is to wake up and be sterotyped by police, media and every one else who thinks they know how life is. and if he did sell drugs that didn’t give any ont the right to end his life, And if he used drugs that doesnt give any one the right to end his live. Open you eyes to the biger picture. It happen all the time, I have a friend who was at a bar w/ his white friends, when they were leaving the police said he didn’t belong in their neck of the wood because he was black, he was taseres 7 times, and he didn’t do anything wrng. I have a younger brother who has never sold drugs or been in trouble w/ the law, but it seems just because he is a young black man w/ a nice car then he must be doing something illegal. He works full time and goes to school full time.

we are all god,s children no one deserves that kind of treatment,no matter the skin color we are all one blood ! people we can do better no matter what !peaca

Many years ago, while living in a ground floor apartment near a major college campus, an individual knocked on the sliding glass door late one night.
I spread the curtain and told the individual that they had the wrong apartment. I could see by the look in the guys eyes that he was hopped-up on something, so I kept the phone close, just in case.
Sure enough, he throws himself at the triple-paned stationary door, resulting in much shattering glass, but did not break through.
After calling the police, I watched as he tripped around the courtyard, banging on other windows, stripping down to his shorts, etc.
When the police and campus security arrived, I watched as it took 6 officers all their might to catch, handcuff, and hog-tie this fool.
They still had difficulty getting him into the squad car due to his movements and thrashing around. Had tazers been available at the time, their use would have been welcomed by all, except of course, the perp.
I applaud the efforts of those here who have tried to turn the subject away from the race aspect. The actions of all the people in this story are what are valid. There are crack-heads and power-hungry cops of every color. There are also great humanitarians, volunteers, teachers, preachers, and all around good folks of every color, as well.

We haven’t even heard the whole story yet. This guy could have been kicking or head butting the officer even with the hand cuffs on. You all calling this officer a rouge cop should be ashamed of yourselves. What do you want in the streets? Anarchy?

I have found it more than amazing to sit here and read some of the things that are being posted.
Yes, this kid was black. Yes, he had a warrant for possesion.Yes, he was hit with a taser while he was hand cuff.Yes, he was laying on his stomache.
So what here justifies what these officers did.
NOTHING!!!!!!
At the time of his arrest no illegal drugs were present. No!
At the time of arrest no weapon was found. No!
Being handcuff and laid on the concret was a huge threat to the officers. No!
Again what justifies these officers actions!

NOTHING!!!

Nothing that you can explain to me can make me believe that the officers here were any danger for their lives.

Instead, these officers acted stupidly and carelessley and choose not to make a reasonable judgement call.

If the use of the taser was needed then the proper usage of it was misused.

The person or person’s responsbile should take responsbility for their actions.

Including the dept which clearly didnt train the officers properly to handle the use of these not only restrainable devices but also deadly.

Yes, he is responsbile for breaking the law for crack.

But that doesnt mean that the law should ignore that his rights were taken and life all in one day.

Just because you are the law doesnt mean you define the law.

Police shouldnt be above the law, yet if the can take the law into their own hands.Then they must take responsbilty for the lives they take in those hands.

Jenna P.
Austin,Tx
South must change. Police must change!

I am a young white woman from Winnfield, Louisiana; I have lived here most of my 30 years. I will agree with those that say this town is deep rooted in corruption. Corruption could be found in the Sheriff’s Office, the Police Station, the Court house, and the D.A.’s Office.
However, I feel that the Chief of Police, J. Carpenter( a black man), has handled this situation as best as he can. I was not aware of Scooter’s death and the circumstances surrounding it until I heard it on the news and read about it in the newspapers.
I can relate with his family. I would want justice if it were my son. I feel that this should be investigated thoroughly, and if punishment is needed and required then so be it. Police are just as responsible as regular citizens. This boy was in their care; they are responsible for him while in their custody. According to a forensic scientist, Scooter , did not have any drugs in his system, and his death was the result of the taser-ing.
I pray for-not only-Winn Parish and it’s citizens, for all those involved-that the LORD would lead,guide, and direct them into uncovering the truth and that the perpetraters are punished accordingly; and finally for Scooter’s family-for peace and comfort during this time.

God Bless All

Lets say this guy was a bad person who did bad things. Does killing him make all of you heartless individuals feel better? I bet it does. Lets make him white and the police officers black . Does it still make you feel better? If black police officers abused their authority and being killing white males our country (America), would be outraged. Its a shame that the truth is this country (not all) hate blacks. Racism is so bad here that its possible any event like the the L.A riots can send us into a civil war. It wont be like slavery (blacks we scared). Blacks are ANGRY now and very easy to result in violence. Look at some of the police footage, these cops have guns and they are getting brutally beat by a black male with no weapon. I think America should do something about injustice, because after so long of oppression people become animals. Understand the law of cause and effect. Don’t think treating someone bad will result in good behavior. Pray for peace

Why when people hear hoofbeats they always think zebras, and not horses. I mean there could be a lot more to this story than we know. There might have been a reason that this happened. If they hadn’t tazered him he might have turned around and shot the cops.

10 points to SK from Illinois for making the most ignorant comment here.

Last time I checked, the consequence of being arrested WITHOUT a trial for suspicion of ANYTHING is not punishable by death by cops.

Perhaps one day someone you love will get caught in the same situation, and then maybe you’ll learn to think before you open your mouth. God forbid…

People like you spit on the constitution and what it stands for.

This was a volition of human right in it purest form. Who care, if this guy was black, white or green. The police officer’s involved should not get away with this kind of behavior. We have a motto in this country, “EVERY ONE is innocent until proven guilty in a court of law”. Since when did the police become Judge, jury and executioner? The fact is that there should be protest about this. But not because he was black, but because he was a human being.

I’m appalled at the insensitive aforementioned comments. There is no excuse for criminal behavior; however, all people of color (especially African-Americans and Hispanics) know that you can be minding your own business and get pulled over or accosted by the police. I guess I should not expect other ethnicities to understand this truth but that is no excuse for applauding the police and celebrating the death of this young man especially when we don’t know all of the details.

We reap what we sow. At points in our lives ALL of us need grace, mercy, understanding, and forgiveness from others. We need to keep that in mind before we denounce the value of someone’s life. One day someone may make the same pronouncement about your worth.

does this case have racial overtones? Probably. Was this young man a drug dealer? Possibly.
But, this story is about much more than that. It’s about our law enforcement using excessive force to subdue someone. Yes, this man was probably out of control and a threat to the officers. But, my question is..was it necessary to taser him nine times within one hour?
How much electrical current can the human body take before it is damaged? An officer of the law is (should be) trained to apprehend a suspect with minimal harm to all involved. It seems this officer overstepped his boundries. Was this a misuse of power? Sadly, it seems so. Hopefully, all the facts will be brought to light and justice will prevail. After all, each of us deserve to be treated fairly and humanely.

Police statement:

He was an out-of-control African-American who was acting out. We were justified.

And, police wonder why citizens resist ?

Its a shame what happened to that young man, but before we call it the fault of the police or anyone else the facts need to be gathered and looked at - lets not add to a tragedy of one killing by creating another one by jumping to conclusions without the facts to back it up.

Annie Kate
Birmingham AL

This saddens me to no end when its so easy to judge him because he is black. The police are paid to protect us not kill black men. I am almost ashamed to say that I am white because everyday it seems I am embarressed by the actions of so many white people. Ignorance is so high among white to black people. Why is it that if a little white kid goes missing its spread all over the tv but if a black kid is missing you MIGHT see it on tv? they are no different then us. Now remember we have crack heads, gangbangers, robbers, killers ect whats the difference. NOTHING but there color we all should be ashamed of our actions.

The PD in my home city are just as bad. I have been intimidated by cops that have someone in custody that they have obviously beaten and have injuries inconsistent with the PD’s story. (I work for EMS.) They don’t want you to transport the patient or say what you think. “You got a problem with this?”
It’s no wonder that the public has little respect for PD. My opinion used to be one of admiration but now is now one of little regard for most of them. I no longer trust the police until they have proven they deserve it. A bunch of school yard bullies that never grew up and now carry guns.

This is very wrong.

You don’t taser someone who can’t resist or defend themselves.

This is clearly abuse of power.

they are officers of the law and not officers of the people like they should be

Are you people out of you mind? Do you understand that someone on drugs can resist about anything..poor drug dealer dead…How many people did he kill?

My brother was a cop in projects of Cleveland…Had to put a guy down about the same size on drugs. Took ten cops, no taser.. hurt 5 of the cops bad…

What the hell……….?

Why don’t they do the same to the Officer?

Then maybe they would think before they act.

What ever happened to the term “Peace Officer?”……………I think that term has fallen by the wayside……..shameful………and someone should be held accountable……………

One less drug dealer on the streets…I wonder how many lives this scum bag has ruined by peddling his drugs on the street, how many children have OD on his drugs. It’s not the cops that are harming the African American community it’s the parasites of the world like “Scooter”. Good Riddance.

This is total ignorance on behalf of the DA. You tase a hancuffed man 9 times you mean to kill. Why did it take the coroner so long to find this man was murdered. I think is was pretty clear from the get go, but ANOTHER dirty cop will get away with MURDER.

Officers of law, or officers of crime?
Protecting people, or killing people?

Another classic case of authorities abusing their power.

I think a reform should be made in that particular police division.

A

how long is this country going to sit back and let these men in uniform be the most dangerous gang in everystate ?
We have a serious problem in Knoxville, Tennessee with our dangerous cops also.

How long will it be before the black man is considered a terrorist. With all the reaccurring brutality, who is going to do something? all the opportunties for others not blacks. Family, education, finance and health. These 5 issues we must solve.

Jakie wrote:

“Now remember we have crack heads, gangbangers, robbers, killers ect whats the difference.”

Blacks have significantly higher rates of violent crime than whites in almost every major category. Come on — what’s more likely to be a safe place to live, the average majority-white neighborhood or the average majority-black neighborhood? Which neighborhood would most people, regardless of race, choose to live in? Get real.

Here in NYC, the black areas always have the highest crime rates, regardless of the overall crime stats.

Why is it that white-on-black crimes get endless exposure, not to mention endless hand-wringing, in the media, while the MUCH more common black-on-white crimes tend to end up in the memory hole?

I think at times it is a no win situation for the cops. I have seen where they get sued for using the taser and then when they use a gun, they get sued for not using the taser.

Did the cop go overboard, i would say yes, but since none of us was there to see exactly what went on and we are not a judge/jury, let the criminal system do its job without us giving a verdict before hand.

I am a war veteran and I was not even allowed to treat the citizens of the country I was in so poorly. By the way you don’t have to do much for the police to attack you if you are black. I was pulled over called names and had a gun held to my head for mistaken identity ( I am a woman and was dressed in a suit with car seats in the back), they were looking for three black males in the same color car I had). I have a masters degree, I do not have a record and like I said I am a veteran. The police treat blacks the way that they do because they are not held accountable. But I guess I had that coming, thank you officer for reminding me of what it means to be black in this country. I was treated better in Germany, Turkey and Bosnia.

Taser the COP to death. It’s time that the cops in the USA find out how it feels to get killed by a taser. Of course it just a legalize killing, less chance of a conviction not being a guy used. The Taser Company should be out of business or sue out of business.

If this young man skin was White. That Police Officer would be in jail but the young man is not and that is why this Police Officer did this and it is Louisiana.

The state does not have the moral terpitude to decide life or death. Unfortunately our laws differ with the current morality that exists in law enforcement at any level.
The war on drugs, and terror have stripped the last vestiges of any type of civil liberties for American citizens. This death, and other abuses and deaths at the hands of the police and the justice system is an example of that loss of liberty. But, what frightens me the most about the loss of civil rights is the acceptance from the very people suffering from the loss. How can anyone applaud the murder of a human? The brainwashing is widespread.
I fear that until more people experience this abuse first hand, there will be no outrage generated against the loss of human and civil rights.
Cops are not heroes, no more than any other person that performs their job. Remember being a police officer is a choice; a choice often made because of the power that comes with the badge.
Really people, this is not about race, it is about social class. Money is what separates us, not the color of your skin. I doubt that a twenty something from a wealthy family would have suffered this fate, no matter the shade of skin pigmentation.

I live in Bossier City, Louisiana which is not too far from Winn Parish, and this was my first time hearing of this incident. Local news stations and newspapers haven’t posted a story on this tragedy. Regardless of Mr. Pikes being in trouble for his drug convictions, that has nothing to do with the situation. What the problem is happens to be an officer that abused his power and is hiding behind the badge. Here in Louisiana we have alot of officers who think they are above the law–many who abuse their power and plenty who cheat the system. It’s 2008 and Louisiana is still the most corrupt state in the nation. Its sad that racism still exits here and we are still using the GOOD OLE BOY system. I offer my sympathy for the family of Mr. Pikes and may God rest his soul.

I have long thought that we should have black cops for black thugs.
White cops for white thugs. This would end the racist angle. Silly, yes?

My condolences to the Pike family.

@Mike in NYC: I love your comments… Your common sense, sense of REALITY, and what’s real and true is so refreshing. You need to have your own blog : )

I dont know why anyone would want to be a cop or in the military. Instead of making the world a better, safer place, you discover how sick everyONE is.

“The family wants justice.”

Society wants justice for pigs like the late “victim” who was dealing cocaine and blithely committing God knows what other crimes against humanity.

I agree with Average American — it’s not the police hammering the black community, it’s the parents of these kids who turn their backs, who do nothing to try to dissuade their children from following the same path the parents did. So Boom-Boom or Scavenger or Fat Boy or whatever his street name, was tasered to death; like AA said, good — one less drug dealer on the street.

Would my children be caught up in a situation like this? Nooooo! This guy was a criminal who resisted arrest.. He was tasered to avoid deadly force. The coke in his system probably caused his cardiac arrest. Don’t you dare blame the Police for this. These criminals are trained from birth to fight or run from the Police. What do you expect?

From the article:

“Bell was in a school yard fight in Jena that stemmed from three nooses…”

Wrong. According to Craig Franklin, a Jena journalist and resident:

“Nowhere in any of the evidence, including statements by witnesses and defendants, is there any reference to the noose incident that occurred three months prior. This was confirmed by the United States attorney for the Western District of Louisiana, Donald Washington, on numerous occasions.”

See Franklin’s article for a myth-by-myth dissection of the “official” version of the Jena case, which was a fraud from start to finish.

I hear a lot of blogs that emphasize.

“So what he’s a drug dealer or gang banger.”

Our country is founded by laws and regulations. I never seen a young man get the death sentence for drug dealing nor gang activity. However I have seen prison time given to individuals that murder others.

This is murder, I can not defend the officer there are no facts to his story. The gang banger did not appose life threat danger to the officer. This is not a black vs. White story. I expect to see this officer get the prison time he deserves.

I have always been a proponent of banning white officers from patroling Black neighborhoods. This will drastically decrease tension.

What has not been mentioned in any of the coverage of this incident, despite the sensationalism of it being turned into a race issue, is that the Police Chief of Winnfield Louisiana, Johnny Ray Carpenter, is black. With a sizable portion of the rest of the force also being black.

The “victim” of this story is a convicted and known habitual drug user. The coverages so far for these stories, just like the Jena 6 coverage(of which between the six of the defendants they had over twenty prior convictions), the reporters only report a slim portion of the truth that will garner the most attention when the rest of the environment surrounding the situation is ignored.

Winn Parish(Louisiana has Parishes instead of Counties) as a whole is suffering from a string of corrupt officials, from the blurbs of stories covered so far, to the brand new Sheriff who is under investigation of his abuses of office when he was Tax Assessor(using his office to pressure voters, punish supporters of his competition, and rewarding his supporters) .

The largest problem with the coverage of these “racially charged” stories is that the racial tension is being applied by the media and not the environment or the lawyers use race instead of evidence and precedence to build their cases.

It is so sad to see how racist America really is. Right here, in the list of comments, white americans have indicated that this has only led to the removal of a drug dealer from the streets. All of these white Americans came to that conclusion based on the fact that the victim was black. Nowhere in the CNN story is it indicated that he was a drug dealer, but that he was wanted for cocaine possession. Possession does not make a dealer; but since he was black he must have been a dealer. The sad thing is that what I’ve written up here will not point towards racism to white Americans. Possession of illicit drugs is most common with white Americans in this nation. I guess I’ll have to consider us all drug dealers from now on (since I’m white).

Response to Violet Miller

Before you go off on a rampage trying getting ‘all’ of the facts. The coroner stated that there were no drugs of any sort in the victim’s system. He was a healthy young man who was murdered.

Where does it say he was a drug dealer or a drug user? The reporting stated he was wanted on a warrant for possession of cocaine. No trial, no conviction, innocent until proven guilty-by a court of law or twelve peers; not some rouge cop.

Drug dealer, gangbanger, not so. The victim was a sawmill worker, a tax paying citizen just like you.

Get the facts first before you speak, it can save you a lot of embarrassment and might even keep your studpidity from showing or being heard. Heaven forbid you ever did any wrong and did not receive the harshest punishment possible. Don’t cast stones when you live in a glass house. Don’t judge harshly lest you be judged as harshly in return.

Joyce
Stockbridge, Ga.

Taser is a Scottsdale, AZ company — one of the Profiteers in the mass industrial criminal justice system. Investigate Arizona and those who are profiting from all this growth — a field destroying lives, families and chlldren and our society’s future — so these owners can become the next multimillionaires sucking the life out of our country.

These stories are to common. Everyone gets outraged, talks alot, sheads tears and still nothing changes. Time to stop crying and start fighting back with a heavy hand.

Police now a days have too much power given to them and time and time again they had showen that they are human and like averyone else they make bad jugment. This could just be the case of a Police officer on a power trip

God is still on the strone he sit high and look low. These officer will one day answer to him. This young man be it was wrong with what he had done but no one be it officer of the law or not has the right to take another one life. I am afraid of what this world is comeing to when a human life taken mean nothing any more. Just know one day trouble wi;; come your way.

This is what happens when a human get the power to use this kind of forse. The police officer relies only on his jugment on deciding weather to use his equipment. This is to me a perfect example of someone on a power trip.

but mike from nyc there is one thing that whites do have a higher rate at and thats sexual based crimes and serial killers. go race wars. ideological thinking of collectiveness to further isolation and your seperatist agenda.

Tazers are straight from Hell. To the officer that said he’d rather taze someone than be spit on or kicked by them - you are terribly weak and unfit for the job. News flash - being a cop is dangerous - you will more than likely be hurt in the line of duty - part of the job! By the way, **NO DRUGS** were in Pikes’ system. They also determined that Pikes was probably DEAD before tazers 8 & 9. The new law of our land is lawlessness from top to bottom. All you people who think it is okay for cops to kill people in handcuffs are godless cowards.

please read the entire article before you make coments.

1. pikes was not high on crack or any other substance, refrence the medcial examiners report.
2. he was handcuffed and on his stomach, he was tased for being slow to get up, he wieghed 247 pounds try getting up with your hands behind your back.
3. 9 shot from a taser is overkill period.

police should be held to the same if not higher stander.

both officers should be charged with murder. Nugent and his partner

this is wrong …just wrong and sad …he was handcuffed ..the police should read him his rights not teaser him to death ….AA increase crime rates is not because of blacks are more violent …its because of the poverty in the aa comunity that is passed on ….i am white id like to say if this was racially motivated ….then any one defending their actions are just disgusting …if it was abuse of power and your defending their action that too is disgustingif the law doesn’t work then we are doomed as a nation….i hope a full investigation is done

sadly, racism still exist, even from cops, many times it goes unnoticed and the victim can not do anything about it, I couldn’t believe it when it happened to me, traumatizing, and I’m one of the most optimistic, positive person in the world. Being black/asian/immigrant is tough, poor black guy, that was unfair and unjustice, that cop has issue and need to spend at least 5 years in prison for killing another person. The facts are already presented, do not defend the coward cop