Buffalo Police Department

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A 20 year old black man died in the hands of police in my neighborhood on Tuesday night. His name is Wardel Davis, say it out loud. His friends called him Meech.

The facts are not clear on what happened exactly but he is dead. He was coming out of a known drug house “they” say and when confronted he tried to run. He tried to run because he knew what would happen to him if they caught him.

Officers Nicholas J. Parisi and Todd C. McAlister (both officers with 10+ years on the force) were able to chase down Davis and place him into custody. After taking him down he mysteriously stopped breathing. They immediately uncuffed him and tried CPR to revive him but he passed away shortly after at Buffalo General Hospital.

This is an issue of out racist classist system smashing down on the already battered youth. One officer was black and the other was white, they were not in uniform, walking the neighborhood to “serve and protect” right?

Why is he is dead? What did he do to warrant being stopped in the first place? He was acting “suspicious” and they are not saying how long the fight was.

A lot of details have not been released. Police said no shots were fired and no taser or other implements were used against him.

The state attorney general is investigating this case and both officers are now on administrative leave. I hope justice is served, but I don’t see that happening.. As I type this people are chanting BLACK LIVES MATTER outside of the police station next door. Shit must hit the fan!

You cannot condemn someone for being a victim of circumstance, born into a society that holds you down from birth. Wardel Davis had already lost both of his parents, his girlfriend and grandmother are now left behind with an empty void where their loved one used to be.

The Buffalo News talked to his girlfriend and the article says that he was about to go to jail for drug charges the next day due to a missed court appearance. She said that she would have been ok with visiting him in jail but it is NOT ok that he is dead.

I did not personally know Wardel Davis but I know he should still be alive right now. I do not have all of the facts and cannot make assumptions, but I do know one thing: more people will die if this system does not change.

I know all cops aren’t bad, I am not even saying that these specific cops are bad, it may have just been an arrest gone wrong. But what I am saying is that they did not have the right to put this boy in that situation to begin with.

Even though one of the officers was black that doesn’t mean racial profiling wasn’t at play here. He is part of a police state that targets people of color every single day. There is a system of radical inequality in place. The war on drugs is the war on poor young black men, period. BLACK LIVES MATTER! WARDEL DAVIS MATTERS!

I am furious but this is not about me. This is about the terrible state of the world that we live in. Drilling also started back up for the Dakota Access Pipeline, Betsey Devos is in charge of education, and Cheeto satan is still the president.

Everything sucks, but that doesn’t mean stop fighting back. It’s difficult to write about fun times and raunchy sex stuff when you are constantly inundated with reality. Reality is death, it is racist, it is all about money.

I was on a bar dancing down the street as this boy died in the arms of authority. It is hard for me to find clarity in this, I need to help, in a more physical way that making art or giving hot coco to protesters. I know I am white, therefore I have less to fear, that is a privilege that I was born with. My skin color has offered me mobility and safety that others do not have.

White supremacy must end now! Call out people you know! Call yourself out! It is uncomfortable to stomp out hate when it lives within you. Young, black men are being targeted and picked off by the police and it must stop!

One of my best friends is a young, gay, black man who lives right around the corner. He has so much to be afraid of and that’s not fucking fair. If I were him I would be terrified to leave the house, but he stands with his head held proud.

We have to realize that all of us need to stand together in solidarity to make sure that nobody is afraid. All people must take part in the movement to end these lynchings. We need to dismantle a hate that has been breeding for too many years.

Even the headlines are terrible, none of them mentioned that he was only 20, all of them said MAN. This happens with all cases of racial injustice! These young kids are being called men in headlines to make it slightly more palatable. Nobody wants to hear about kids dying so let’s call them men.

This crime was not just in my country, not just my state, not even just my city, it was my street, my neighborhood, I probably ran into this kid a hundred times without knowing who he was.

Let’s not forget about India Cummings too, she died in Buffalo Police hands at the Erie County Holding Center, BPD needs some serious training. We need to start with community involvement. We need to take back the night, a grassroots community direct action against oppression.

I remember the anti-rape task force taking to the streets, but we have to keep more than just the rapists and robbers in check now. It’s the cops too!

Whenever you see an interaction with cops and ANYONE (but especially if they are of a targeted race or religion, such as African Americans or Muslims) PAY ATTENTION! Film it! Say something out loud while it’s happening.

We need to make sure that everyone feels safe to leave their house. We need to have their backs! Solidarity and direct action are needed desperately.

A safety pin is not the same as a hand on the back to say you are here and nobody will fuck with you on my watch! We need to be more educated about racism.

If you have children talk to them about race. Don’t wait until they see a hate crime at school to engage them and make a difference. It is also so important to get off your ass and protest. Make art, informational zines, articles, and share the work of others!

Activism is more than just a hashtag or sharing this article. It is being present, and standing up for justice.

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Buffalo Police Officer and veteran Richard Hy has been suspended without pay for posting videos on the internet while in uniform (even if it was not his official uniform). He can be suspended unpaid for up to 30 days.

It’s silly that this man is even on our radar. There is a Buffalo Police Officer who recently overdosed on heroin, a little more news worthy than a social media blow out.

Hy posts comedic videos on the social app Vine under the alias Angry Cops. He shows himself taking cocaine from the evidence locker with powder on his face (the image that I recreated for this article), pretends to shoot someone, jokes about prison rape or people overdosing on drugs while showing needles outside of the courthouse, sings songs about being on duty, and more. I was instantly inspired to parody this yo yo on stage.

buffalo cop Richard Hy

He was warned, kept on creating videos, and is now facing the consequences. Even if you think his videos are funny you have to put your palm to face in honor of his blatant ignorance.

“Bad cop, no donut” is a bumper sticker that seems appropriate right now. Officer Richard Hy responded online with “I guess cops can’t be funny or have a life outside of being emotionless robots.”

Many of the more incriminating Vines, including the one about cocaine, have been removed from his account, you can see them in this video from WIBV News. There is an outcry in the comments from both supporters (someone even started a go fund me for him while he is suspended) and people who are calling him a criminal for this.

Badges don’t (donut) grant extra rights, right? To serve and protect, bro, that’s whats up. Police officers have a responsibility to respect and help everyday people who are “abiding by the laws”. These people in uniform are just that, people, flesh and blood, they have feelings, families, stories, and souls (I would hope). Yes, their lives matter too.

We are not yet run by machines, just humans with guns and egos. These humans make mistakes just like anyone else, excessive use of force and abuse of “power” are too common in our society.

Everyone has watched the re-runs of COPS: power hungry officers tazing drunk people and small time crooks, getting snakes out of attics, breaking up domestic train wrecks, rounding up hookers in cube vans, lots of drug possession, people hiding in the strangest places, dogs biting, guns drawn, reading the rights, a few car chases, sweaty running scenes, and maybe some comedic effect, even if its unintentional. Manly mustached men with beer bellies and very serious lesbian cops swinging their billy clubs in the name of what’s right.

Some police officers want to humanize the force and make people realize that cops are just people too, break down stereotypes. There is even a website called humanizingthebadge.com where cops want to connect more to the public. I want officers to speak their minds and connect to people in other more meaningful ways.

Why don’t they get into the community when things are good and not only when crime is happening? We should love our “protectors” and not fear them. There doesn’t need to be a stern, mean imagine. Police officers need to learn how to be a little bit more lovable. Plant some trees, feed people, get involved in the communities they serve.

Know who your audience is, social media doesn’t go away. Posting goofy videos on the internet is not going to make me feel more connected to the police force. I am not offended or amused, mostly annoyed because there are bigger issues to talk about.

It makes sense to me, everyone is so obsessed with social media and fame that they don’t realize what an impact it has on the real world. It is a way for people to connect. But acting like you shot someone for being out of vacation days is disconcerting or dehumanizing someone with a drug addiction by mocking them. That is not positive.

Of course I believe in freedom of speech and do not agree with censorship. However certain positions require a little bit more tact and adulting. Being a police officer is serious business, lives are in your hands. I want you to have fun and laugh, but you need to respect your job and the people you serve.

There has to be a better way for officers to release negative energy. Suicide and drug use are common among police officers, they see and deal with some crazy and horrible stuff on a daily basis. Dark humor happens in all serious professions, just most people don’t post for the world to see.

Nobody follows every rule at work, we all have the right to joke around sometimes, but not all of us are cops. The fantasy sexy cop is way further from impersonating an officer than actually impersonating Richard Hy.

cocaine is one hell of a drug

I literally copied a screen shot of this man and did makeup to look like him. The sexy cop is a costume just as the stern professional cop is not real, Richard Hy is a real cop putting on costumes and being a dork. I obviously approve of Vines, but don’t ever mock someone for overdosing on drugs or joke about real world things while on my dime, be a role model or be a fucking comedian.

The publicity is causing a spike in views on his videos. Hell I even watched them. Richard Hy should just retire and become a internet sensation, welcome to virility officer, bask in your remaining 13 minutes of fame. He makes fun of himself and comments on society in general.

There are officers who commit much bigger offenses, like um, well how about shooting innocent children, using excessive force with the homeless or disabled, bashing down a protester, breaking down a door with no warrant and terrorizing a family, or just plain being an asshole while giving you a speeding ticket.