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Eimers rebuke draws angry response from two commissioners
Eimers rebuke draws angry response from two commissioners
BY PRU SOWERS
KONK LIFE STAFF WRITE
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Sloan, I’m sorry you were so verbally mistreated at the commission meeting. I, too, saw the Colombian’s video. As a nurse, I’ve seen many dead people, and I can tell you without even checking for a heartbeat, if Mr. Eimers was not dead when they finally rolled him onto his back, he was taking his last breath. I could also see the panic in the movements and looks of the policemen around him. They knew they’d killed him. One does not have blood coming from his ear and mouth from a heart attack. This man was smothered to death by multiple policemen on top of him holding his face in the sand. He was not resisting arrest. His hands were up when he went down on his knees. At that time he could have been cuffed and place into the squad car. He did not have a weapon pointed at the police, so there was no reason to take him to the ground like that. It’s just like that case in NY that’s in the headlines today. That video clearly shows the unarmed man with his hands in the air, yet multiple policemen took him to the ground where the one had his hands on his neck and we could hear him saying, “I can’t breathe” and then there were no more words.” I don’t know what it is going to take in this country, but these police are clearly militant and not acting as protectors of the public. There was no video closeup of the Brown victim, so I can’t speak to that, but I could clearly see in the other two cases that both Charles Eimers and the man in NY were unarmed and had their arms raised, so there was no need to take them down. You are not wrong, Sloan.
I wanted to do an addendum to the above comments. When I lived in Key West all those years, I never saw any wrong-doing by a KWPD officer. From my personal observations, they treated folks fairly. I trusted and believed in the integrity of Chief Donie Lee. I don’t know what’s happened, but clearly there are a few officers under his command who might be a real problem. I hope, for his sake and the sake of the people remaining in Key West, that he does something about the few who are causing the problems.
It seems our city commissioners do not want to face an uncomfortable truth. Not only is the KWPD responsible for Eimers’ death, one of the officers involved allegedly bragged about the mistreatment and his callous remarks recorded. This is evidence of “delight in malice.” It is a true window to the soul and exposes the dark side of many who wear the blue, though most do indeed perform professionally.
It’s the Blue Wall of Silence that protects these bad apples and it unfortunately brings dishonor to all. We crusade against bullying but it’s OK for our police officers to be bully role models to our children? We are also quick to blame when “warning signs” are missed. I for one, am sounding the alarm now. However, I guarantee that there will be no ears to hear it. From Los Angeles, to Ferguson, to New York City, it’s a growing tumor across the nation, an uncomfortable truth that municipalities choose not to hear. When our police offers openly delight in the mistreatment of the citizens they are sworn to protect and serve, it exposes the cancer within.
Notwithstanding, we once again find the wagons circled to protect the bad apples. This time, the Blue Wall dragged everyone into the cauldron since it’s very much about the politics, the liability and the money. This is the reason why the city is comfortable with the whitewash. Perhaps, because the city so enjoys sticking their heads in the sand, they figured Mr. Eimers enjoyed it also?
Un-questioning blind faith in anything is simply a nice way of saying you are comfortable with blindness.