Officer Phillip Jackson said he knows deep in his bones that he can, in fact, be a Black man and wear police blue at the same time – that it shouldn’t require him to split his loyalties.
never flinching as protesters screamed insults, hurled rocks and frozen water bottles and dared the men and women to take off their uniforms and fight.Protesters soon advanced on Columbus police Officer Phillip “P.J.” Jackson, circling back to him time and again.
“Because I was a Black officer, I became a focal point and a target,” he said. “Not knowing me, not knowing who I am, what I have been through, what I’ve done in my community and what I still continue to do.”He held his position in that line of officers at an intersection in downtown Columbus, Ohio, as the agitated crowd swelled to hundreds as the night wore on.
These are his streets, after all. This is where he came from, having grown up in the Linden neighborhood and then spending 20-plus years as a youth football coach there.“It hurts,” the 46-year-old Jackson said. He knows deep in his bones that he can, in fact, be a Black man and wear police blue at the same time. It shouldn’t require him to split his loyalties.
Census data from 2019 lists 28.5% of Columbus’ population as Black or African American. Increasing diversity in the police force so that it looks more like the community the division serves has long been a priority, and Detective Dana Croom, who joined in 1987, has been a part of those efforts. Prompted in part by such traumatic events, the Crooms moved to central Ohio. His father became a longtime Licking County deputy sheriff and sergeant, and Dana Croom followed his footsteps into law enforcement.
Malaysia Latest News, Malaysia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Black NYPD Officer Mocks Cautious Policing Tactics in 2020D.L. Hughley has some strong thoughts about this African-American police officer being insensitive to the cause.
Read more »
'See In Black' Photography Print Sale Showcases Black ArtistsThe charity sale runs now through July 3 with proceeds benefiting organizations working toward racial justice.
Read more »
Here's What Went Down When I Talked to My Black Family About Black Lives MatterThe many incidents of police brutality towards Black people have recently sparked nationwide protests and sparked a powerful conversation on social media in
Read more »
If Black Lives Matter, Then Black Living Must Also Matter'Until Black people can move, babysit, run, walk, swim, play, nap, drive, rest, shop, work, bank, laugh, and vacation without fear of harassment, accusation, or bodily violence we will never unroot systemic racism from our midst.' –hyphenatedprof
Read more »
'See In Black' Photography Print Sale Showcases Black ArtistsThe charity sale runs now through July 3 with proceeds benefiting organizations working toward racial justice.
Read more »
WNBA revolts over Atlanta Dream co-owner Sen. Kelly Loeffler's comments about Black Lives MatterThe WNBA distanced itself from Sen. Kelly Loeffler of Georgia, a co-owner of the Atlanta Dream, following her objection to the league's plans to honor the Black Lives Matter movement.
Read more »