Cops shoot white guy in Fresno, no public outrage ensues
Isn't it peculiar that no one riots – or to be perfectly frank, even cares – when white people are killed by the police?
According to Fresno police, they responded to a report that a man was walking around with a rifle. Spotting a speeding truck, they tried to accost the driver, Noble. Instead, he fled and led the police on a half-mile chase.
Noble finally entered a gas station parking lot; police asserted he kept his hands hidden, and made a "conscious effort to conceal one hand behind his back, then in his waistband, as he exited the truck, and walked away from officers," according to a press release from Fresno police.
Police said Noble muttered that he "hated his life," reversed direction and walked back toward the police, prompting them to shoot him four times.
A witness standing roughly 100 feet away videotaped the incident for 26 seconds; the video shows two shots being fired. ABC 7 reported, “Noble appears to already be on the ground near or underneath his truck. There was a 14 second gap in between the two shots in the video.” Police body cameras also filmed the incident, but the department will not release it to the public as yet.
A further investigation revealed Noble was unarmed.
With the recent shootings of two black men – Philando Castile and Alton Sterling – generating a massive amount of public outrage and media attention, it's safe to say that this story will be overlooked.
More importantly, however, is the fact that the victim was a (cue AIDS Skrillex) white male. This means that his death lacks controversy; it won't inspire throngs of rioters, protestors, and, in response, police to take to the streets; and it certainly won't fit into the prevailing liberal narrative. As such, it's unlikely that Noble's death would have ever generated a public outrage even if the aforementioned two shootings not been the recent center of attention.
However, despite what the media might have you believe, far more whites than blacks are killed by police in America.
It's also worth noting that the vast majority of blacks are killed by other blacks. Considering this, isn't it odd that the black community – and indeed, America at large – gives primacy to combatting alleged police brutality? Around 60 blacks were killed over this past July 4th weekend, and yet there were no riots, protests, or media frenzies.
In other words, why do black lives only appear to matter when they're ended by white men?
