JUST WHEN you thought that politicians couldn't get any more degenerate and selfish, New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani set out on a successful mission to prove everyone wrong.
The incident that incited the recent controversy is reported as follows: In the late hours of the night, Patrick Dorismond, an unarmed black man, was hailing a cab when he was approached by an energetic undercover cop asking him if he had drugs. Obviously irritated by the cop's somewhat baseless charge, Dorismond told him to leave. A scuffle ensued, shots were fired, and seconds later, Dorismond was dead.
The facts of the tragic episode are disputable. Whether the fight was provoked by Officer Anthony Vanquez, the cop who fired the shots, or Dorismond still is being investigated.
The interesting aspect of the case is that it seemed Dorismond had committed no crime that night and, therefore, was a victim of police brutality.
What has angered the public and incited protests is not the error of judgment committed by the officer, but Mayor Giuliani's relentless pursuit to smear the dead. Justifying the actions of the police officer and perhaps his entire policy on crime in the city, Giuliani remarked that Dorismond was shot because he had a "pretty bad record."
Furthermore, Giuliani released Dorismond's record for public viewing, with obvious disregard for the victim's friends and family, especially his two young daughters.
Dorismond's record had nothing to do with why he was shot that night, as the police officer wasn't aware of the victim's record. The "pretty bad record" that Giuliani claims was the cause of Mr. Dorismond's death also turns out not to be so bad after all, or at least not one that would warrant being killed. Mr. Dorismond was arrested but acquitted at age 13 for robbery and assault, arrested for punching a friend who cheated him out of $10 on a marijuana purchase, and most recently in 1996, pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct. According to his record, therefore, Mr. Dorismond was a marijuana user, not a dealer, and once punched his friend during a squabble. He wasn't a model citizen, but certainly was not a criminal and certainly not someone who deserved to be shot.
Taking one step further, Giuliani also claimed that "people do act in conformity very often with prior behavior." The New York Times reported on Monday that Mr. Vasquez, who has been repeatedly branded by Giuliani as a "distinguished undercover officer" also has a record, a fact that the mayor did not feel the need to reveal as hurriedly. Mr. Vasquez was accused of shooting a neighbor's dog in 1996, temporarily discharged for pulling his service weapon in a bar brawl, and accused of domestic abuse by his wife. According to the Mayor's logic, Mr. Vasquez should be subject to the same scrutiny as the victim. After all, it's quite possible that it was Mr. Vasquez and not the victim who was acting in accordance with "prior behavior."
Why would the candidate for the open New York Senate seat and the most watched mayor in America choose such tactless accusations to cover up an obvious mistake by a cop? Like most politicians, he is giving the most consideration to his own political interests. Giuliani recently has come under fierce criticism for his take-no-prisoners approach to crime in the city, and conceding his position on this case would only emphasize his flaws as mayor. Therefore, the mayor has chosen to go out of his way to tarnish the memory of a dead man, desensitize the image of the police in the city, and most important of all, attempt to conceal a possible case of police brutality by presenting a one-sided story.
The Mayor's actions have significant political and social implications. The rift between minorities and the police force continues to grow as minorities across the country are protesting the injustice. Politicians and the police are beginning to feel the effects of the new image branded on them. With Hillary Clinton quickly rising as strong competition for the open Senate seat, and the public his getting angrier at Giuliani, the mayor should rethink his actions. Appealing to the public, Giuliani asked that people "at least take a neutral viewpoint." He also said, "It would seem real hypocrisy to close off half the facts."
When the man's right, he's right.
(Faraz Rana is a Cavalier Daily viewpoint writer.)
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