Vinson’s Variety: Was officer fired due to his color?
Without argument, the subject of discrimination/affirmative action demands a consistent position at the forefront of the American news media. At the expense of public trust in the collective media, this sensitive issue received tremendous coverage with the recent Jayson Blair-New York Times scandal.
As most are aware, Blair, 27, black, and a rising journalist with the Times, arguably the nation’s most prestigious newspaper, was accused of, and fired for, fabricating and plagiarizing material for his articles. It has been rumored that Blair’s literary indiscretions had been known for some time to his superiors, and those same superiors had been reluctant to take appropriate disciplinary action out of fear of some discrimination/affirmative action-themed backlash. Further, some contend Blair, due to his ethnicity, enjoyed the advantages afforded by reverse discrimination/affirmative action. Amidst the Blair controversy, two Times editorial executives, Howell Raines and Gerald Boyd, along with others, have resigned.
A recent incident – albeit, an unfortunate one – is sure to test the waters of discrimination/affirmative action here in Middle Tennessee. Last week, La Vergne Police Chief Steve Lindsay, white, fired La Vergne Police Sgt. Nick Watson, black, for purportedly using “totally inappropriate and unnecessary force against a non-threatening suspect,” Charles Edward Hood, white. According to reliable news sources, a live video tape foremost amongst them, the scenario unfolded something like this:
After being arrested for firing a shotgun blast through the window of a car dealership, Hood was brought to the booking room of the La Verge Police Station. Seated in a chair, Hood refuses a request to take a field sobriety test and demands to speak to Morris Dees, a famous civil rights attorney at the Southern Poverty Law Center.
After a few verbal exchanges, Sgt. Watson says to Hood, “You’re going to need more than a lawyer. Go up there shooting people – what the (expletive) is wrong with you?” As Watson finishes the last statement, he gets up from a desk and attempts to leave the room.
Hood responds with, “I watched you black boys do it.” Watson then angrily charges back into the booking room, shoves Hood against the wall and slams his head into a Dry-Erase board several times. With La Vergne police officers Tony Taylor and Konrad Kaul attempting to pull Hood and Watson apart, Watson proceeds to pull Hood to the floor and “bashes Hood’s head into the floor several times.
Chief Lindsay was quoted as saying,” Due to the severity of his [Watson’s] actions, I have recommended the termination of his employment with the La Vergne Police Department, effective immediately.”
With a case of this nature, there are the expected discrepancies. From the video tape, Officer Kaul is heard several times telling Hood to stop resisting. Chief Lindsay’s report, though, states, “Hood offered no resistance.” Others question why Watson, who normally worked in the narcotics division, was present for Hood’s booking. However, Watson was among the officers that responded to the crime scene, the shooting of the car dealership.
Here, exactly, is what will prove interesting: Will the local media – sure to be yanked both left and right – attempt to shift a majority of the blame on Hood for making a racial slur against a black? On Watson for beating up on a white man simply because Watson held the advantage, and possibly harbors racist sentiments against whites? On Chief Lindsay for firing Watson, whereas Lindsay might not have fired Watson had it been a white cop beating up on a black man?
How would you call it?
(Mike Vinson is a Warren County columnist.)