Did Reality TV Help Kill This 7-Year-Old Girl?
Here's something you probably never thought about while watching Cops: Does being followed around by a camera crew affect the way police officers do their jobs? That's the question being posed by the family of Aiyana Stanley-Jones. The 7-year-old Detroit girl was shot and killed in her bedroom by a stray bullet last Sunday while police searched for a murder suspect with a camera crew for the A&E series The First 48 in tow.
Details on the shooting are unclear -- as in, the cops aren't sure who was responsible for the fatal shot -- but one fact is indisputable: The offending officers fired a "flash-bang grenade" into Jones's residence, a no-no since it was known to house children. The entire scene sounds like something out of a horror movie. From the Times:
"Soon as they hit the window, I hit the floor and went to reach for my granddaughter," said a distraught Mertilla Jones at a news conference after Aiyana's death. "I seen the light leave out her eyes. I knew she was dead. She had blood coming out of her mouth. Lord Jesus, I ain't never seen nothing like that in my life."
The Detroit police department has contradicted the family's details of the shooting, but no one seems to deny that the flash-bang grenade was used. And therein lies the problem: "Those cameras can influence the behavior of what's already a very dangerous and unpredictable job," said Brian Willingham, a former Flint, Michigan, police officer. Adds defense attorney Thomas Loeb: "I think they're showboating for the camera."
So did the mere presence of the camera crew cause the police officers to act a tad more reckless than usual? And did that recklessness and resulting chaos cause the death of 7-year-old Aiyana Stanley-Jones? That those questions even need to be asked is probably as indicting as their answers.
· Tragedy in Detroit, With Reality TV Crew in Tow [New York Times]
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Um, Bill.... before you begin criticizing someone else about their spelling, check your own first - - "concequence" is spelled "consequence".
Zootown...Funny...Sad about baby girl though..."saw the light go out of her eyes"...wow....Family will be awarded money...hopefully they will start a foundation or something in girl's name...pass a bill or something helpful for the community..L.O.V.E
Of course they acted differently with camera's rolling. Everyone does. But that aside, Detroit is a failed pile of crap. I grew up there, 1961 - 1982, and all its done is gotten worse.
Just another dead American city.
numbskull. Detroit been on the way down since the race riots in the 1960's and white flight it. Tax base and business' left for the 'burbs and the welfare state took over.
Seems to me that this is yet again a blacks vs. the cops issue.
How many people are murdered in Detroit every week? Gangs running the streets, violence off the charts .... and then a little black girl is accidentally killed, cops are there and I'm sure most of them were white, so it immediately becomes global issue and news.
It's very tragic that this innocent child lost her life, no doubt about that and it's very sad that it happened.
But lets step back and look at how her death is being used, or, abused.
These people blame the cops for everything, accuse them of abuse and racism every time they are called upon to assist in their gang, drug, domestic abuse matters in their communities and homes .... but then they scream and holler when nobody comes to help them. Well, imagine that? Would you care to go and help those who in turn bite you when you put your hand in their cages? Probably not.
So back off the cops, leave it alone and just admit that had the people in that house been LAW ABIDING and DECENT citizens, then this would have never happened in the first place.
And I might add, when the cops show up at your home, instead of being defensive and histrionic, just do what they say.
If this grandmother had just shut up and done what she was told (and don't think because the descriptive of "grandmother" was used, that it means a little old, frail lady. In the black world, most grandmothers today are around 45 or 50) the little girl wouldn't be dead.
Blame grandma, if you need to blame.
I agree all cops do these things all the time, they do not follow procedure. I dont think the camera crew had anything to do with it. They never follow procedure, there ruthless and they need to be punished and that cop should be charged with negligant homecide its a horrible thing. I feel so sorry for the family and worse the little girl
the blame lies on the activity that was going on in that house that it had to be raided in the first place. the police are not to blame for doing thier job, the criminal living in that house is the one to blame for this. the cops dont just raid your house for the hell of it
We blame the cops when things go wrong but @ cops in the city where i live were just killed by a guy who had a warrant for writing bad checks. bottom line the people who live in that house were doing bad things and the cops were just trying to do thier job
This is a awful tragedy. However saying it's Obama's fault is ridiculous. Sadly, Detroit has had these problems for years. Get an education!
Who says it was the cops that shot the girl?
It's not written anywhere in the above article.
Could it possibly have been one of the pimps/drug dealers/gang bangers that infest the city, living the "Thug life"?
Exactly, Jim! And while I suspect that once the first shot went others followed, it seems to me there is something in forensic science called BALLISTICS. I'm pretty sure they can match that bullet to a gun and it shouldn't be too hard to match that gun to an officer. It's outrageous to me that they would suggest otherwise. That being said, I have to presume it wasn't ANYONE's intention to kill a 7 year old that night. Tragic accident. My heart goes out to the family and to the officer(s) responsible.
I always got the impression they were being exrta cautious for just this reason. Being open to people screaming bloody murder (Unfortunately it was this poor innocent little girl that this family put in harms way) for situations they put themselves in. It's always someone elses fault. Cops trying to keep others safe from dangerous people like these. It always amuses me to think that were you in trouble you'd be screaming for them pretty quick, wouldn't you?
AND, I bet you people bad mouthing them are the first to scream that they're not doing anything about the gangs and drugs infitrating our streets. You can't have it both ways.
I must comment because this is only half of the story. This family was harboring a fugitive that had shot a 17 year old Honors student to death at 3:30 in the afternoon in front of his girlfriend and his friends for looking at him the wrong way. The guy rode his scooter home (the same house the child was killed at) got a gun and shot this kid. The police were serving a fugitive warrant on the house and tragedy occurred. I feel horrible for both of theses families. I also wanted to clarify that "the first 48" have been filming with DPD for over a year, the article just seemed to imply something different. ALso it is said that the first cop in the door ran into the grandmother and that is when the shot rang out. It is said that there is a tape and Jeffery Fieger (lawyer for the family) has it. From what I have heard the tape shows the shot came from out side the house. This seems to be a horrible accident.
You seriously must be a idiot. Obviously if the cops were doing there job right this wouldnt of happend. Instead of putting on a show for the cameras them scum bags should of did thrre job right.anyone sticking up for themis a idiot. If this a normal black guy who killed someone my mistake you white trash would ragg all over him . Just because hes a cop does not give him any right. You think there better because they have a badge oh pleasee wake upp!
Exactly!
Uh, try 30 to 35.
I am from Mount Clemens, currently living in Richmond both from Michigan for those unfamiliar and within 15 minutes to Detroit. Sir, let me tell you. There is no reason ever, for a child to be killed. Of course this is an accident. No officer would shoot a child in their right mind, and if they did with intent no other officer would cover his ass. Detroit or not this can happen anywhere but that child is not trash and you are horrible for even saying that. These officers will be let off because it was an accident pure and simple. It's tragic but just that an accident. Of course if I was the parent I would be enraged but stepping back you gotta look at the whole thing.
Detroit is a third world city. It's an armpit. It is amazing it 1/2 way functions.
JUSTIN YOU COULDNT BE MORE CORRECT.A CHILD IS A CHILD.ACCIDENT OR NOT.SOMEONE WHO WOULD ACTUALLY STATE THAT TRASH BREEDS TRASH , NOT U SO CALLED JOHN MADE THAT COMMENT,WHAT I WOULD AND OTHERS DO IS HANG HIM BY HIS BALLS,WHICH HE ONLY USES,SMALL AS THEY ARE ON THE INTERNET TO MAKE COMMENTS LIKE HE DID.I WONDER WHAT COMMENTS HE WOULD MAKE IF SHE WAS HIS DAUGHTER OR OTHER FAMILY MEMBER?MAYBE HE CONSIDERS THEM TRASH TO,INCLUDING HIMSELF.THAT YOUNG GIRL IS WORTH MORE IN THIS LIFE THAN HIS W2ORTHLESS BIG MOUTH.SOMEONE SHOULD SEND HIM TO BIN LADEN FOR TORTURE AND DEATH.WHAT A WORTHLESS PIECE OF SH--.FROM U.C.,PA.
Lol at Jib and to John it's clear who's the trash.
No one knows exactly what happened? Where's the footage from the tv camera? Are they really saying that after the use of a flash bang that this elderly lady who was directly exposed dazed, confused and disoriented was actually able to confront the police to cause this? Someone stated that while the GrandMother was struggling with an officer his gun discharged. Then why are we questioning who's gun was responsible? I have doubts about Detroits ability to even handle an investigation if they can't determine what actually happened in that home. And for everyones information, pointing the finger at someone in a murder doesn't confirm there guilt. There have been countless warrants executed on the innocent. Only judge/ jury can decide and only God knows the truth.
The problem is theres no ownership of this. A mistake happened and no one is willing to say we made mistakes. The Blue Code of Silence exists and that in itself should be cause for alarm to any resident of any city.
It's called a ballistics test. Police know who fired the bullet that killed the girl. I guess they don't want anyone to suffer consequences when the victim is black and the perpetrator is a cop.
And where is Bill's punctuation? I love when people try to correct someone else's spelling when they make errors as well.
so did the police make an arrest at this house?
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