US Police have arrested the suspect behind the mass shooting during an Independence Day parade in Highpark Park, Illinois. The 22-year-old gunman named Robert E Crimo III is also a rapper known as Awake. People were gathering for the 4th of July event to enjoy floats and marching bands when Bobby Crimo opened fire before the celebrations could even begin.
He climbed to the roof and started shooting randomly at the street with a high-powered rifle, killing 6 and injuring more than 30 people. The police were able to arrest Crimo after a brief manhunt. However, it led to a debate on social media regarding police behaviour against black and white suspects. Many cited several incidents where police killed black suspects brutally and arrested white ones normally.
Police Take Bobby Crimo Alive
Police took Bobby Crimo into custody after 8 hours of shooting. In videos making rounds on social media, the police officer can be heard saying “Do me a favour, get on your knees, lay flat on your stomach” before taking him in alive. Critics pointed out how the police behaviour was usually more aggressive in the case of a black suspect.
Last week on June 27, US police killed a 25-year-old black man Jayland Walker in Akron, Ohio after a vehicular pursuit due to a traffic violation. According to reports, the police tried to stop him but he fled while allegedly shooting at them. Videos of the incident went viral on the internet showing at least 8 police officers pursuing 1 suspect on foot. Police said they were afraid that he might shoot again, so they fired 90 bullets out of which 60 found Walker. Later police released the dash cam footage to show that Walker had a gun but he left it inside the car when he fled on foot.
No Knee on the Neck
The picture showing Bobby Crimo getting arrested went viral on social media and became a hot topic of debate. Critics noted that the officer was arresting the suspect normally. He did not put his knee on his neck like another cop who killed an African-American George Floyd in May 2020. Floyd’s death acted like a wake-up call against the structural racism in America. Millions of citizens gathered in nationwide protests that went on for several months until officer Derick Chauvin was arrested for choking out Floyd with his knee. The case was the basis for introducing police reforms in several states of the US.
Critical Race Reality
Many opined that the US police did not learn anything from George Floyd’s murder. People still accuse them of being biased when dealing with non-white suspects. Some also reckoned how Critical Race Theory was not a theory anymore but a reality in America.
Besides criticizing the police, citizens and politicians also raised their voices against gun-friendly laws in the US. The debate about making guns easily accessible for anyone has intensified after the recent shooting incidents in America like Texas and New York.
