Deception and the Baltimore Riots

Riots are sometimes fueled by deception, but even if not the principle force behind a riot, deception will be present wherever opportunity exists to profit.  For some, it is the profit of money, while others, it is the profit that comes from fame which leads to prominence, which leads to money.  Ask Al Sharpton how this works.

How did Freddie Gray die?

What caused his death?

Why are people looting sneakers, leather coats and other such items?

How much narcotics was taken out of CVS?

Did Gray have a pre-existing condition of spinal fracture, or was blunt force trauma inflicted upon him, causing his death?  Or still, was it something else?

What is taking so long? Why don't we have the information?

Why did the mayor deliberately say she gave space for destruction?

Professional protestors?

These are not just ambulance chasers.  Could a correlation exist between "community activists" and the mayor's statement?  Did the statement have an impact upon behavior, at any point in the rioting?

Was there any planning by anarchists?

Was there any planning among "activists" who receive tax payer dollars, in the protests or even in the rioting?

We have more than a few questions.

Head spinning, yet?

                                               Deception is everywhere in bedlam.

Last night, while facing an accusation that her words helped fuel the destruction in Baltimore, the Mayor fought back to defend herself.  "I never said..." was used, with the unreliable "never", used instead of "did not", or "didn't."  She also switched from "I" to "we" in her defense.

She was not truthful.

Deception does not help.

Did her words give some encouragement to looters early on, or was there something else going on with her words?

                                         We saw the violence escalate over time.

Some channels are now calling it a "race riot" as reports of attacks on whites and asians increased into the night with some reporters stating that black youths are targeting for violence any white person, even in media.

What we still do not have is a formal statement from police on how the man in custody died.  What caused his injuries?  Were they pre-existing?  If not, what blunt force trauma caused a spinal fracture in a grown man?

These questions need answers and the delay has added to the trouble.

Deception always brings trouble.

 Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake said, "Media misconstrued our words."  This was said last night while some protestors complained to media that "outsiders" were involved in the protests.  "They're not from this neighborhood" others reported.  Were these the paid protestors that receive government funding for politicking?

Later, pundits stated that "no one in their right mind thinks she meant she wanted violence."

We learn from statement analysis that intention may not matter:  the words freely spoken come rapidly and we are responsible for what we say.

Another reporter said that 'kids saw, on television, other kids coming out of stores with new sneakers and police standing by, doing nothing, so they came out too...' reporting that passivity of police encouraged looters.  The video seems to support this, at least, earlier in the looting process.

Riots are always rife with deception, whether it be "Hands up!" deception, or just those who seek to capitalize on the pain of others, deception is employed.  

Another report stated that funded Baltimore Peoples Assembly were present early on, and may have wanted trouble to break out, as trouble brings publicity and may have even encouraged it.  

Regarding the mayors original statement:  I read one news report that was critical of media for "taking it out of context" that is, alone.  

Here is the entire quote allowing for context.  In the analysis, the entire statement was given.  Did this change the analysis?  

Another question:  Would the presence of "professional protestors" change your view of the statement about allowing space for those who would destroy?  

here is the statement by itself:

"we also gave those who wished to destroy space to do that as well."

here it is in context:  

"I made it very clear that I work with the police and instructed them to do everything that they could to make sure that the protesters were able to exercise their right to free speech.

"It's a very delicate balancing act. Because while we try to make sure that they were protected from the cars and other things that were going on, we also gave those who wished to destroy space to do that as well. And we worked very hard to keep that balance and to put ourselves in the best position to de-escalate."

There was a change in the protest, overall, where peaceful marching gave way, more and more, to violence and theft (looting).  

Did these words impact what happened?

Lastly, here are two clips from Fox News, which had a company analyze data from the Ferguson riot:

EXCLUSIVE - An analysis of social media traffic in downtown Baltimore Monday has unearthed striking connections to the protests in Ferguson, Mo. last year, according to a leading data mining firm that shared its findings exclusively with Fox News.

The firm, which asked to remain anonymous because of its government work, found between 20 and 50 social media accounts in Baltimore that were also tied to the peak period of violence in Ferguson. While further analysis is being conducted on the data, it suggests the presence of "professional protesters" or anarchists taking advantage of Freddie Gray's death to incite more violence.  

Gray, 25, died April 18, a week after being injured while in police custody. A wave of violence erupted in Baltimore following his funeral Monday.

***********************************************************************************************************One account, which also tracked the recent union protests in New York City as well as other disturbances, tweeted photos of Gray's funeral and used language that seemed to anticipate violence in Baltimore.

The use of social media to fuel violence in Baltimore has already been highlighted by law enforcement. On Monday, police said an online call was issued for a "purge" at 3 p.m. ET, starting at Mondawmin Mall and ending in the downtown area. That type of threat is based on a movie called “The Purge,”  the plot of which involves rampant lawlessness.

The Washington Times also reported Monday that law enforcement intelligence officials issued a warning after someone sent a text urging people to “kill all white police officers” in reaction to Gray’s death. The text has fueled fears that the violence in Baltimore could spread nationally, according to safety memos obtained by The Washington Times

Next, why don't we know what happened to Freddie Gray?  What is taking so long to give an autopsy report? Who fractured his spine?

Gray's arrest record is not good.  It appears to include almost 2 dozen arrests, over the years, for drug charges.  It is also immaterial to the lack of information regarding  the cause of death.

If he was murdered, justice must be served no matter what his record was.
If he had a weakened spine from prior injuries, why not tell us?  Next, if he had damage to his spine, what pressure caused it to fracture?

We do not know because we are not being told.

Deception cuts in all directions.  Please note that the following is a copy with "let the truth be known" added, as if a criminal record justifies his death.  It does not.

This, however, does highlight how divided our nation has become, far worse than any time in my own life.  "Let the TRUTH be known", in context, is taken to mean that a lengthy arrest record justifies his death?

We have courts to punish crime, and this is done in due process.  We, as a nation, need to know what happened to Gray to cause his death.  We need to be told the truth and the truth is becoming a rare commodity in our country today.

Transparency in government has all but disappeared.

Here is a "primer" from the Washington Post about Freddy Gray

A Freddie Gray primer: Who was he, how did he die, why is there so much anger?

The death of 25-year-old Baltimore resident Freddie Gray is sparking demonstrations and riots in the city. Take a look at Gray’s past and the video that shows his arrest just days before his death. (The Washington Post)

Who was Freddie Gray?

Freddie Gray, who at this moment is the nation’s most prominent symbol of distrust in police, went by the nickname “Pepper.” Gray, 25, grew up in the impoverished neighborhood of Sandtown-Winchester on Baltimore’s west side.

In 2008, a lead-paint lawsuit was filed on behalf of Gray and two of his sisters against the owners of the home in which they grew up. Court papers described his difficult upbringing: a disabled mother addicted to heroin who, in a deposition, said she couldn’t read; walls and windowsills containing enough lead to poison the children and leave them incapable of leading functional lives; a young man who was four grade levels behind in reading.

[Live updates: Riots in Baltimore]

Such lawsuits are so common in Gray’s neighborhood that the resulting settlement payments — which Gray lived off — are known as “lead checks.”

Close friends of Gray, who was 5-foot-8 and 145 pounds, described him as loyal and warm, humorous and happy. “Every time you saw him, you just smiled, because you knew you were going to have a good day,”  said Angela Gardner, 22, who had dated him off and on over the past two years.

But Gray also had frequent run-ins with the law.

Court records show he was arrested more than a dozen times, and had a handful of convictions, mostly on charges of selling or possessing heroin or marijuana. His longest stint behind bars was about two years.

Courtesy of the Baltimore Sun.

How did he die? 

Gray died of a severe spinal injury on April 19, one week after being arrested by police following a foot chase in his neighborhood. It wasn’t clear why he ran when he saw the police. The officers said they found a switchblade in his pocket.

Video shot by a civilian bystander shows officers dragging Gray, who appeared limp, after he was handcuffed. Officials say he was able to climb into the back of a police van.

The driver of the van made at least one stop on a 30-minute ride to a police station to put Gray in leg restraints, police officials said. Officials said Gray was angry and talking when he was first put in the van but was not breathing when it arrived at the police station.

Baltimore police have acknowledged significant errors in the moments that followed: Gray was not seat-belted after being placed in a transport van, a violation of department policy; Gray was not offered medical attention, despite several requests; and officers did not call for an ambulance when he was arrested, as they should have.

Police have said they don’t know whether Gray was injured during his arrest or while in the van.

Six police officers have been suspended while authorities investigate. Those involved in the arrest denied using force.

City officials have promised to finish their investigation by May 1 and will then allow prosecutors to decide whether criminal charges should be filed.

The Justice Department is also investigating the incident to determine whether civil rights violations were committed.

Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake said in a statement that she welcomes the additional scrutiny to help “get answers to the questions so many of us are still asking.”

Why is there so much anger?

The violent, fiery riots that consumed Baltimore on Monday began days earlier as peaceful protests of what activists say is a much larger national issue: police mistreatment of black men.

Police-involved deaths over the past year include Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo., Tamir Rice in Cleveland, Eric Garner on Staten Island and Walter Scott in North Charleston, S.C.

Those tensions were only heightened in West Baltimore, where relations between residents and police have long been strained. On Saturday, a lengthy and largely peaceful march of about 1,000 people ended with flashes of violence outside Camden Yards.

“People want justice,” said Adam Jordan, 27, who leads one of the Baltimore protest groups. “They want the officers to go to jail. But most of all, they want reform — sweeping reform.”

As the city spiraled into chaos Monday, protest organizers were quick to draw a distinction between themselves and the violent rioters who set cars ablaze, looted businesses and injured more than a dozen officers.

A protester rides his bike in front of a police line at North and Pennsylvania avenues on Monday. (Algerina Perna/Baltimore Sun)