Why are Cops OK with Killing Black People? Because American History Teaches that we Aren’t Fully Human

Author/Creator

Author/Creator ORCID

Date

2015-04-25

Department

Program

Citation of Original Publication

Watkins, D. (2015, April 25). Why are Cops OK with Killing Black People? Because American History Teaches that we Aren’t Fully Human. Salon.com. https://www.salon.com/2016/09/21/why-are-cops-ok-with-killing-black-people-because-american-history-teaches-that-we-arent-fully-human/.

Rights

Subjects

Abstract

Last April Terrill Thomas, a 38-year-old inmate in the Milwaukee County Jail suffering from severe mental illness, died of “profound dehydration.” He spent his last days pleading — begging — for something to drink, after the water in his cell was shut off. Corrections officers in the jail had no problem torturing him, watching him die slowly and painfully because they did not see him as human. This week Thomas’ death was ruled to be a homicide.