A fatal police shooting that took place two years ago in Mobile, Ala. received minimal public outcry. Many looking back say it mirrors the incident that claimed the life of Michael Brown in Ferguson. It may be more accurate to say it’s the negative image of the Brown shooting — the cop was black, the unarmed teen white.
The Washington Times reported:
Gilbert Collar, a white, unarmed 18-year-old under the influence of drugs was shot and killed Oct. 6, 2012, by Officer Trevis Austin, who is black, in Mobile, Alabama. Despite public pressure for an indictment, a Mobile County grand jury refused to bring charges against Officer Austin, concluding that the officer acted in self-defense.
Sound familiar? It should, and others are taking note also.
That “public pressure” included commentary by former CNN host Piers Morgan, who stated that Collier “didn’t deserve to die.” Morgan’s assessment, offered long before all the facts were in, was pretty much the sum total of national attention it received.
Although toxicology tests revealed both teens were under the influence of marijuana, there were also a few differences: While Brown was huge, Collar was slightly built. Brown attacked officer Darren Wilson and fought for his gun; Collar never touched officer Austin. Brown was by the reckoning of many a thug; Collar was a college student.
Despite strong local public sentiment, business weren’t targeted by looters and arsonists, and reporters and police were free from violence. After the Mobile grand jury refused to indict Austin, no one was heard screaming “Burn this bi*ch down!”
And no one did.
But people are taking notice now — especially on social media. One user tweeted:
White teen killed by black cop in Alabama mirrors #Ferguson http://t.co/xcnRukFOMQ Where’s the national outrage in support of #GilCollar ?
— Bob (@We_R_Introvert) November 28, 2014
Another Twitter user emphasized the size differences between the Mobile officer and victim by including their photos of in this tweet:
Hello? Media? Two years, and still only crickets. Where’s Al Sharpton for #GilCollar? pic.twitter.com/C7uUqFCcP6
— Julie (@mynameismomma) November 27, 2014
Despite the Ferguson grand jury’s decision not to indict Wilson in the Ferguson case, Attorney General Eric Holder announced his continuing investigating of possible civil rights violations.
“While the grand jury proceeding in St. Louis County has concluded, the Justice Department’s investigation into the shooting of Michael Brown remains ongoing,” he said in a statement, according to Townhall.
I guess Holder hasn’t made his mind up yet on the Mobile case.
