For 17 minutes, Belton police made every Black man in Cass County a shooting suspect
For 17 minutes, Belton police made every Black man in Cass County a suspect in a shooting.
The initial description from police officials on Monday read: “The suspect is described as a black male who left the scene in an unknown vehicle.” Less than 20 minutes later, additional details were released, but the damage had already been done. Identifying an entire group of people based on generic information is wrong.
Authorities later described the suspect as a Black man with a slender build standing between 5 feet, 10 inches to 6 feet tall and wearing a red hoodie. The man left the area in a blue car, police said.
No one was in custody as of Wednesday. The victim was listed in stable condition.
The lack of a detailed description put innocent people in harm’s way. Police officers looking for an armed suspect are primed for a confrontation. Even brief interactions between an innocent citizen who matches such a vague description and law enforcement officials could have a deadly end.
Descriptions of criminal suspects without distinguishable characteristics or features only promote discriminatory policing. Officials with the Belton Police Department should know better.
