Toy Gun Bill Inspired by DeAunta Farrow Fails to Pass in Arkansas

Villagers may recall the story DeAunta Farrow. He is the 12-year old youngster killed by an Arkansas police officer who mistakenly thought that his toy gun was real.

The Arkansas House has narrowly rejected a bill that would have restricted the sale of realistic-looking toy guns. Rep. Fred Allen says toy guns often are mistaken for actual guns or are used during robberies, and shouldn't be readily available in Arkansas stores.

Allen originally named his bill the DeAunta Farrow Imitation Firearms Act. But Allen agreed to remove the boy's name from the bill after complaints from the family, who dispute police accounts that say DeAunta was holding the toy weapon. The family's civil lawsuit is pending.

We don't allow toy guns in our house. I want my 9-year old son to grow to be an old man. No need to tempt fate. What is your view?

Civil Case Moves Forward in Shooting of DeAunta Farrow

A doctor lost an eye when his car was blown up in his West Memphis, Arkansas driveway. West Memphis does not seem like a good place to live. Villagers will remember that we reported on the killing of 12-year old DeAunta Farrow in West Memphis a couple of years ago.

The police officer that shot him resigned. The Arkansas Supreme Court put a halt to any criminal prosecution.

As we all learned through OJ Simpson ... it's not over when the criminal justice system is finished. At that point folks can go for justice in civil court.

A federal judge says a lawsuit against the West Memphis police officers who were involved in the shooting death of 12 year-old DeAunta Farrow can proceed to trial.

U.S. District Judge Brian S. Miller dismissed the case against West Memphis Police Chief Robert Paudert, Mayor William Johnson and the city in the death of DeAunta Farrow. But Miller said claims that Erik Sammis and Jimmy Evans used excessive force could go forward.

Sammis, who fired the shot that killed Farrow, has been cleared of any wrongdoing in federal, state and special investigations. He has since resigned from the department. State police concluded officer shot the boy because he was holding a toy gun that appeared to be real.

Is it something in the West Memphis water?

Arkansas Supreme Court Denies DeAunta Farrow Grand Jury Investigation

There will be no grand jury investigating the DeAunta Farrow shooting, at least for now. That was the decision by the Arkansas Supreme Court, which ruled that Crittenden County Circuit Judge Victor Hill has no authority to call a grand jury to investigate last summer's shooting of the 12-year-old boy by West Memphis police officer Erik Sammis. [SOURCE]

Killer Cop Resigns While City Council Boycotts

The fallout from the killing of 12-year old DeAunta Farrow continues to mount in West Memphis, AR. Sgt. Erik Sammis resigned his job on the police force four months after he shot the innocent youth [video report and copy of Sammis' resignation letter].

Three different investigations cleared Sammis of any wrongdoing, however, the community is very upset about the lack of responsibility being taken by the police department. My understanding is that Sammis will pop up next month on the payroll of a federal law enforcement agency.

The city council asked the police chief to resign. The mayor vetoed this action. The police chief ranted on television about his antipathy towards the feelings of African Americans in his town. The Black members of the West Memphis city council boycotted the meeting this week ... causing it to be cancelled. The boycott will stay in place until the police chief sits down to discuss the Farrow shooting with the Black leaders in the community.

Villagers, this is an interesting situation brewing in Arkansas. It hasn't hit the mainstream media yet. What do you think of the current developments?

Ghost of DeAunta Farrow May Force Killer Cop to Resign

Here are some updates on the DeAunta Farrow killing down in West Memphis, AR. Villagers recall that the West Memphis city council passed a resolution to ask for the resignation of the two killer cops and the police chief. However, the mayor vetoed the resolution last week. More recently, we learn that Sergeant Erik Sammis, the killer cop cleared of all charges in the shooting death of DeAunta Farrow, may resign. See the television report shown below for details.

What do you think? Should Erik Sammis resign?

'Resign' says West Memphis City Council to Police Chief for Killing 12-Year Old DeAunta Farrow

12/10/07 UPDATE: Mediaverse gives detailed run-down on the facts of the DeAunta Farrow killing ... along with raising some unanswered questions about the police actions after the young boy was shot.

12/8/07 UPDATE: West Memphis preachers claim cover-up. [video source]

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Officer Erik Sammis, who shot and killed 12-year-old DeAunta Farrow, and his partner, Jimmy Evans, returned back to work on the West Memphis police force. They were cleared by three separate agencies of any wrongdoing in the killing of the youngster. You'll recall that DeAunta was not doing anything wrong at the time ... just walking over to his cousin's house. Sammis shot him dead. Now Sammis is back at work. Ain't police justice grand?!

West Memphis City Council member Lorraine Robinson was not happy about the return of the officers. "I think it's a slap in the community's face, 'cause the whole nation is looking at West Memphis, Arkansas," she said. "These men have committed this act, and it has gotten to much notoriety, and these men can just go back."

The West Memphis City Council took an unusual step. They voted 6-4 to remove the two officer and Bob Paudert, the police chief. The Mayor has five days to make a decision, but he doesn't plan to announce anything until Monday. William Johnson is the mayor of West Memphis, "I support Bob Paudert totally 100 percent. I always have." He says, he can't think of any reason why he would not keep the Chief.

You must see the racially-charged remarks of the West Memphis police chief. It was these heated comments made to News Channel 3 that set-off the firestorm.

Click here to see the video of the Chief's remarks.

Council Member Robinson says, "It was very clear from the comments that he made that he is extremely biased and extremely racist. I have worked with him now going on nine years but the person I saw last night is someone that I don't even know."

Paudert responded after the vote to have him removed by saying, "You know what? I changed my view of her when she called me a 'whitey'. It's just gotten out of hand... She changed. I made one public remark after 5 months of intense scrutiny. I make one public remark and I'm criticized for it. They've been calling Erik Sammis a murderer for months, Lorrain Robinson. So, I don't care if she's upset or not."

The Mayor finally spoke out about the case, chosing not to make a rush decision while fully supporting his chief. Mayor William Johnson says, "Certainly Bob Paudert hasn't done anything to terminate his employment. He's been a great contributor to this city, we are safer than we've ever been, and personally I wouldn't even think about removing Bob Paudert."

Council member Marco McClendon said Sammis and Evans should resign for their own safety. "I think its for the peace of the city," McClendon said. "I'm looking at the safety of the officer himself, as well as the community." McClendon said he feared someone might be gunning for Sammis and Evans, and it could put the officers in a position where they might have to shoot.

Villagers, what do you think? Should these two cops resign for the good of the community? What do you think of the Police Chief's comments? or the City Council's vote?

Killing of DeAunta Farrow

Villagers, I feel foolish for not knowing about DeAunta Farrow until this morning. DeAunta is a 12-year old Black boy that was shot and killed by a police officer in West Memphis, AR earlier this year. Young DeAunta was in his own neighborhood, his mother knew where he was and what he was doing, he was with one family member going to another family member's residence and was not engaged in any illegal activity. DeAunta was loved and cared for.

Now he is dead.

The powers-that-be in Arkansas have declared that the police officer was not wrong for killing this young boy. The police officer, Sgt. Erik Sammis, claims that he thought the youngster had a gun. A plastic toy gun was placed into evidence at the scene, however, the boy's family indicate that the toy gun was placed on the scene by someone friendly to the police department.

Our thanx to the Police Brutality Blog and Thaddeus Matthews Dot Com for beating the drums about this case.

One lesson that we can all take from this case is to remind our children not to walk the streets with play guns or any type of gun in their hands, waist, or on themselves at all. We know now that they take their lives and place it into the hands of a cop, and they could be killed.

In any case, Villagers, have you heard about this case? Am I wrong in wondering whether this young boy would still be alive if he didn't have as much melanin in his skin?