Cleveland PD: Black men seen as larger, more threatening than white men.

[HughBeaumont]

The Cleveland PD actually printed this article. This isn't just a dog whistle, it's a dog alphorn -

Citing the shootings of Cleveland's Tamir Rice, Florida's Trayvon Martin, and Wisconsin's Dontre Hamilton, the study released Monday by the American Psychological Association found misperceptions of young black men's size may play a role in their being viewed as threats.

Cleveland police shot and killed Rice in November 2014 as he played with a toy gun outside Cudell Recreation Center. The head of Cleveland's police union later described Rice as "menacing" and "a 12-year-old in an adult body."

Authors of the study said that perception fits with their findings.

"Unarmed black men are disproportionately more likely to be shot and killed by police, and often these killings are accompanied by explanations that cite the physical size of the person shot," said a statement from the study's lead author, John Paul Wilson of Montclair State University in New Jersey. "Our research suggests that these descriptions may reflect stereotypes of black males that do not seem to comport with reality."

[HughBeaumont]

1. I love how the comments section is going DOWN in size due to forum moderation.

This had 153 comments. It now has 119.

Gives you an idea of where SlowHio's suburban cranks are on an intelligence scale.

[raging moderate]

2. I saw that film. Clearly a child.

With a 35 year career working with kids of ALL ages 3-22, I know kids. Tamir Rice was clearly a child, playing with a toy gun. Just as all the boys did in my old neighborhood, all day long. Horrible.

[HughBeaumont]

4. I think the suburbanites are mad because he was supposed to use that toy gun as a flute.

In a park with, what, three people?

[Jonny Appleseed]

3. I find police officers larger and more threatening

[wcast]

5. My son is a large man

He is biracial but dark skinned. At 6'3" and 270 pounds at 8% body fat, he could look imposing if someone is already scared of the big black man stereotype. He is often pulled over, though rarely ticketed. When he is pulled over backup is always called.

He related a story about being pulled over last summer after church. He was taking a white congregant home and was pulled over for not signaling as he pulled away from the curb. The white cop was scared and called for backup. The responding officer knew my son from the YMCA and said I know him he is a good guy. White cop asked my son for his ID and then freaked when he reached for it.

Didn't matter that backup was there, that my son was known in the community, that he was driving a white man home after church, he was close to being in a bad position because of this cops fear.