When police officer Darren Wilson fatally shot black teenager Michael Brownin Ferguson, Missouri in August, it sparked a national debate about not only racial inequality, but police brutality and the frequency of officer-involved shootings.
Last week, a grand jury did not indict Officer Wilson, causing another round of media coverage surrounding violent protests.
Las Vegas had a gathering of its own, and although it wasn’t the talk of the nation, it was a peaceful get together in which a quiet dialogue was held.
Tiffany Tyler the COO of Nevada Partners was one of the organizers of the gathering. She told KNPR’s State of Nevada that efforts before the decision was made led to a peaceful meeting in Las Vegas.
She said community groups, faith-based organizations and Las Vegas Metro worked together to make sure there weren’t any violent protests.
Officer Wilson resigned his position, but activists are still asking for an indictment, and the conversation continues surrounding racial politics in the country.
Former Las Vegas police officer Randy Sutton said Wilson was “entirely justified in shooting Michael Brown.”
Sutton spent 34 years on the force in Las Vegas and was involved with four shootings. He said every time an officer is involved in a fatal shooting, it is traumatic.
“It is the most important decision you can make, you’re taking the life of another human being,” Sutton said.
Sutton choked up when he described having to answer to the mother of the first man he ever fatally shot. He felt the shooting was justified, but it altered him forever, nonetheless.
Sutton said police need to understand the power they carrying with them during something as simple as a traffic stop, but people have to understand the mentality of officers.
“When an officer walks up to the car he must move from ‘officer friendly’ to a ‘warrior’ in a split second,” Sutton said.
He said it is unfair to paint all police officers as being biased or prejudiced because of a few police that are.
Tyler agrees. She feels it is unfair that “a few unlawful people will color a whole group of African-American men.”
“I feel colored,” Tyler said. “One percent doesn’t get to determine who the 99 percent are.”
She believes there is a racial line in Las Vegas between how white people are treated and how the African-American community is treated, but she says the line is fading.
“Relations here are greatly improved,” Tyler said.
She credits the changes to peace efforts from all sides of the issue.
Guests:
Tiffany Tyler, Chief Operating Officer, Nevada Partners
Randy Sutton, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department veteran and author.
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