Taser Death: Johnnie Warren (Dothan, AL)

A Houston County sheriff's deputy has been placed on paid administrative leave as authorities continue to investigate the death of a 43-year-old Johnnie Kamahi Warren who was handcuffed following a bar fight in Dothan, Alabama. [SOURCE]

Dothan Police Chief Greg Benton insists that his officers did the right thing when they electrocuted an UNARMED and HANDCUFFED man who was already in their custody.

It should be interesting to see how this taser-killing gets worked out over the coming weeks and months.

The Alabama Bureau of Investigation is investigating.

Obama Effect: Artur Davis (Campaign Video)

I told y'all a few months ago that Artur Davis (D-AL) was a beneficary of the Obama Effect. Check out his most recent campaign video:




Are there other candidates that you think benefit from the Obama Effect?

Antonio Love: Alabama Police Taser Deaf and Mentally-Disabled Blackman

Apparently the police in Mobile, AL didn't get the memo from the police in Wichita, KS ... Do *NOT* taser deaf men leaving their bathroom. We know this because Mobile police officers used pepper spray and a Taser on a deaf, mentally disabled man who they said wouldn’t leave a store’s bathroom.

The deaf man needed to use the bathroom. He went into store bathroom. The store management called the police. Why? Is it illegal for a Black man to use a public restroom in Alabama?




The family of 37-year-old Antonio Love has filed a formal complaint over the incident.

Police spokesman Christopher Levy says police didn’t realize Love had a hearing impairment until after he was out of the bathroom. The officers’ conduct is under investigation.

Love was tased three times. He said police didn't realize he was deaf until they got him outside the store. That's when they looked in his wallet and found a card detailing his handicap. Love said an EMT was dispatched, and after he was checked out, he was then put into the back of a police car and taken to Metro jail where he sat until police finally took him home later that afternoon.

The incident happened around 11:00 a.m., and when he was returned home, it was 4:00 in the afternoon. He was never arrested. Love's mom doesn't understand.

"He asked them to stop. He tried to say, 'I'm deaf. I'm deaf,' and they still did it. Looking at my son now it hurts. I just want justice. I want them to pay for what they did to my son," said Phyllis Love.

Villager's View: I'm looking through the use of force continuum and it seems that the police didn't need to use 50,000 volts of taser juice on this deaf man in the bathroom. Why are police officers so taser-happy in America?

What say u?

Obama Effect: Artur Davis Looks Strong in Alabama

I told y'all a few months ago that Artur Davis (D-AL) was a beneficiary of the Obama Effect.

Davis strives to become the first African American governor of Alabama. He is looking good in recent polls.

In head-to-head matchups, Davis leads Democratic Chief Justice Sue Bell Cobbs, 54%-25%, and Commissioner of Agriculture and Industry Ron Sparks, 56%-26%. He's also ahead of Republican Bradley Byrne, 43%-38%. Byrne is chancellor of Alabama's community college system and a former state senator.

I guess that Charles Barkley's window of opportunity to be Alabama governor is over, huh?!

Alabama Senator Shelby Claims Obama is Not a US Citizen

Soulclap to Black Politics on the Web for pointing us to a town hall meeting in Cullman County, Alabama where U. S. Senator Richard Shelby spoke on rumors of President Obama’s citizenship.

The Cullman Times reports:

Another local resident asked Shelby if there was any truth to a rumor that appeared during the presidential campaign concerning Obama’s U.S. citizenship, or lack thereof. “Well his father was Kenyan and they said he was born in Hawaii, but I haven’t seen any birth certificate,” Shelby said. “You have to be born in America to be president.”

Villagers understand that Barack Obama was born in the state of Hawaii in 1961, a native citizen of the United States of America. Somebody point Senator Shelby to this blog post so that he can see Obama's birth certificate.

Obama Effect: Artur Davis Seeks to be First Black Alabama Governor

Villagers, we have talked in the past about social phenomenoms such as the Bradley Effect and the Vanessa Williams Effect.

Consider this your formal introduction to the Obama Effect!

The Obama Effect is what we will call the coming deluge of African American candidates that will run AND WIN political races for governors and senators and future presidents.

Case in point: Rep. Artur Davis (D-Al). Davis, an early supporter of Barack Obama with uncanny similarities to the new president, announced his Democratic candidacy for governor Friday in a bid to become the first Black to win Alabama's top office.

Davis, a Harvard-educated lawyer in his 40s like Obama, ended months of speculation with his announcement, attended by a crowd of at least 100 people, made up largely of whites. That voting bloc will be crucial for Davis to win in 2010.

"Yes, this will be hard, but if we find our way, we can build a state like we have never known, not at some distant point called one day, but right now, in our season," said Davis, 41, who chaired Obama's campaign in Alabama.

Davis said his campaign will focus on the economy, not race.

"One of the things I have learned about race is if you talk about race, if you fixate on race, other people will join you in fixating on it," Davis said. "If you don't fixate on race, all the other issues that people want to hear about will come to the forefront."

What do you think of this idea of the 'Obama Effect'? Also, do you have any insights on Rep. Artur Davis and his hopes to become Alabama's first Black governor?

Perp Walk: Larry Langford (Birmingham Mayor)

Did you see where the feds arrested the mayor of Birmingham, Alabama, yesterday? It turns out that Mayor Larry Langford for his part in a corruption probe surrounding a massive sewer bond debt that has forced Jefferson County to the brink of bankruptcy.

The US Attorney indicted Mayor Langford on 60 counts including bribery, conspiracy and filing false tax returns. Langford's friends involved in this scheme are investment banker William Blount and lobbyist Al LaPierre. The government said it was also seeking $7.6 million in forfeiture from the three men.

Blount’s company profited from collecting fees recommended by Langford in the sewer bond transactions.

One of the consequences from the Mayor's criminal activities is that Alabama’s Jefferson County — of which Birmingham is the main city — is fighting to stave off what would be the largest bankruptcy in U.S. municipal history over its sewer debt.

“He sold out his public office to his friends Blount and LaPierre for about $235,000 in expensive clothes, watches and cash to pay his growing personal debt. All the while, Blount was paid fees topping $7 million,” said US Attorney Alice Martin.

Ms. Martin continued, “Through a web of financing agreements Langford required many institutions to use Blount as a consultant so Blount would make fees and in turn pay off Langford. It was a classic pay-to-play scheme.”

In May the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filed a lawsuit accusing Langford of receiving and not disclosing a $156,000 illegal payment.

Langford sat on Jefferson’s county commission from 2002 to 2006 and was its president. He became Birmingham mayor in 2006.

Do any villagers have any thoughts on this mayor-gone-bad? When will our public leaders recognize that they are not above the law?