A white Tulsa Police Department major denies that systemic racism exists in U.S. police forces, while also saying that he thinks cops should really be shooting more black people.
Maj. Travis Yates made his comments on a talk radio podcast earlier this week, according to Tulsa Public Radio. Discussing statistics that show black people are far more likely to be shot by police than white people, Yates said: “If a certain group is committing more crimes, more violent crimes, and law enforcement’s having to come into more contact with them, that number is going to be higher. Who in the world in their right mind would think that our shootings should be right along the U.S. Census lines? That’s insanity.”
Yates went on to say: “All of the research says we’re shooting African-Americans about 24 percent less than we probably ought to be, based on the crimes being committed.” Speaking about systematic abuse of power and racism in U.S. police forces, he said: “That just doesn’t exist.” Read more it at Public Radio Tulsa.
{Matzav.com}
Of course he’s right. But he’ll probably get torpedoed for this statement. But he’s dead right. It’s obvious
He is dead because he is right.
Nebach, he’s gonna get fired for speaking the truth.
Agreed. Unfortunately , statistics point to fact that more major brazen crimes are done by them so why should police have to risk their lives for enforcing the law? Tis in NO WAY defends what was done in Minnesota!! Police should revert to control a potential criminal by force needed to restrain individual but death should be an ABSOLUTELY LAST resort ; if with not doing so , he is at risk of losing his life ; then he should be allowed to defend himself ; but that is an ABSOLUTELY LAST resort!!!
Travis Yates 2032
The headline is very misleading and inflammatory.
He actually said “All of the research says we’re shooting African-Americans about 24 percent less than we probably ought to be, based on the crimes being committed.” meaning that blacks are shot disproportionately less than the percent of crimes they commit. He believes that police shooting, to the extent they happen, should be proportionate to the crimes being committed, not the race of those being shot
He did not say what the headline accuses of him of saying
Agreed.
He could have chosen his words a lot better, but his statement was not in the least racist (unlike the headline of this article, which makes it seem he could give the KKK lessons in how to be a bigot).
When you speak about these matters, you have to be very careful about the language you use. He used “ought” in its less common meaning of something that is probable or expected, but naturally it was interpreted in its more common meaning, to indicate something that is desirable, since that interpretation casts him as a villain. That’s all that will be remembered from the interview, even though everything he said was correct and important. Now he’s in deep trouble. He’ll have to apologize, and it won’t help. He’ll soon be the former police department major, no matter what he does.
wow. great headline. great guy.
nothing to do with each other.