Police kill man in Haiti over allegedly stolen rice

[Waiting For Everyman]

Source: CNN

Karl Penhaul, CNN
January 22, 2010 3:13 a.m. EST

Port-au-Prince, Haiti (CNN) -- Haitian police shot and killed a man they suspected of stealing rice in earthquake-ravaged Port-au-Prince on Thursday, leaving his body on the sidewalk for hours as his family mourned.

The dead man's mother identified him as Gentile Cherie, a 20-year-old carpenter. A companion with him was wounded, and a third man nearby was hit by what he said was a stray bullet.Witnesses said no one was looting at the time. Josef Josnain, the owner of a shop near the city's airport, said the five bags of rice the men were found with fell from a truck and passers-by picked them up. And Cherie's wounded companion, who did not give his name, said a truck driver gave them the rice.

...

A CNN crew spotted police stopping the two men Thursday afternoon. They stopped to film the arrests, but while they were getting out of the car, they heard four gunshots and saw the men on the ground. Both had been shot in the back.



Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/americas/01/21/haiti.police.shooting/index.html

---

This video CNN took of the incident is with the article...

http://cnn.com/video/?/video/world/2010/01/21/penhaul.five.bags.rice.cnn

[captain jack]

1. Stolen, or found? Depends on skin tone.

[EFerrari]

5. Witnesses say these young men picked up the rice after it fell off a truck.

CNN saw one of them being shot AFTER the cop already had him on the ground. One of them died at the scene.

[KittyWampus]

9. what depends on skin tone? You think the Haitian police were looking at skin tone?

they sound like murderous bastards. You think the HAITIAN police really cared if the victim was white or black?

[Zoeisright]

13. The choice of word in reporting depends on skin tone.

There's some pictures from Katrina: a black man was pulling a bag full of food through flood waters and the caption said 'looting'.

Another picture showed two white people doing the same thing and the caption said 'people FOUND food'.

[captain jack]

14. Thanks for clarifying Zoeisright. n/t

[barb162]

18. I saw black police oficers so I don't know what skin color has to do with it.

Black victims too

[arikara]

23. Even though they were black cops

I bet they wouldn't have shot white people in the back.

[madmax]

2. 'Both had been shot in the back.' n/t

[FailureToCommunicate]

3. self edit

[lostnfound]

4. Should be charged for murder.nt

[Raschel]

6. Death for bags of rice.

And I'm glad CNN and other news crews are there to cover Haiti.

[Waiting For Everyman]

7. And meanwhile across the street at the airport, aid is still sitting around

with no distribution plan in effect...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x7543661

This is just nuts.

[NinetySix]

8. "Looting." Christ.

It's just like those in New Orleans who were taking the water they needed to survive when the lawful environment had disintegrated. They were being shot dead by the cops or Blackwater or both for trying to stay alive.

I defy anyone to try to defend this act. Especially those like Limbaugh who espouse the "right to life." If these people have the right to life, then these men had the right to food to sustain their lives. Just wait a beat, though, and some Rightie will doubtless begin to drone on about "property rights," and the right to shoot in order to defend them, the same as was done after Katrina. Is the right to life absolute, one might ask? One might ask indeed....

[KittyWampus]

10. why are you using the word looting and with quotation marks? The article specifically says

witnesses said there was no looting.

Apparently they picked up the bags that fell off a truck and the Haitian police murdered them for some sick reason.

[barb162]

19. Whatever, why the hell were they shot in the back.

[Waiting For Everyman]

11. I agree. And I wonder about the legality of collecting millions in donations

for aid which isn't given to those it was designated for. I'd call that fraud. I think the Haitians have every right to this aid, and now.

Not when the relief agencies get around to it, or feel like it.

[avaistheone1]

12. Rice is expensive.

Life is cheap.





:sarcasm:

[sattahipdeep]

15. Murderous Blackwater organization is not present in your country?

Defense Secretary Robert Gates Confirms Blackwater in Pakistan

http://rebelreports.com/post/346763455/defense-secretary-robert-gates-confirms-blackwater-in

[RaleighNCDUer]

26. If there is a dollar to be made, Blackwater is there.

As the relief workers need some sort of security, it would not surprise me at all if Blackwater was there.

They are a foul stain on America.

[Altoid_Cyclist]

16. I literally can't think of any words to do justice to this disgusting injustice.

Why don't I believe the Police official who promised that there will be an investigation of the two officers?

[fascisthunter]

17. so, in essence their lives were worth less than the rice

according to the shooter.

a gun in this case is judge, jury and god itself.

[barb162]

20. Guns usually are judge and jury

WHat I don't get is they could have yelled "Halt" or something. Maybe the cops did and the two men didn't stop??? Still, they could have shot above their heads and a number of other things short of shooting them.

[EFerrari]

21. Everyone is probably stressed out beyond belief right now

including the police.

[winyanstaz]

22. well hell....that is just shameful....

My heart goes out to the hungry and dying people of Haiti.
I dont blame them for scavaging or salvaging anything that helps them survive this terrible thing.

[KamaAina]

24. Was his name Jean Valjean?

Works as well in Kreyol as in French. :cry:

[Flaneur]

25. Security, Haitian police style. Time for Aristide and Lavalas to come back.