The Double Standard Of A Murdered African-American Officer

Last month a woman whose law enforcement officer brother was killed in the line of duty during ongoing protests over the death of George Floyd asked Congress: “Where is the outrage over a fallen officer that also happens to be African-American?” 

Officer David Patrick Underwood – a black policeman – was a Homeland Security Protective Service Officer. He was ambushed and fatally shot on May 29 while guarding the U.S Courthouse in Oakland, California. His murder was amid violence and unrest over the death of Floyd, a black man who died in police custody in Minneapolis. David’s sister Angela Underwood Jacobs was invited to testify among Floyd’s brother during a hearing that was focused on policing practices and law enforcement accountability. 

Angela described her brother as a good man who wanted to keep others safe. “He would go out of his way to help family, friends and strangers. He did not deserve to die in such a horrendously inhumane way.” She stated. 

Patrick Underwood was stationed in the front of the U.S Courthouse when a vehicle pulled up to the building and opened fire at him and another contract security officer who both worked for Homeland Security’s Federal Protective Service. Underwood was killed while the second officer was wounded. 

The heartbreak and grief has been unexplainable for Angela as she believes the entire world has been turned upside down. “My brother wore a uniform, and he wore that uniform proudly. I’m wondering, where is the outrage for a fallen officer that also happens to be African-American?” Angela Underwood Jacobs, a former city councilwoman for Lancester, California, also dismissed calls from activists seeking to dismantle and defund law enforcement in reaction to police brutality. 

Defunding police departments is not the solution to police brutality and discrimination. While this all has sparked a national movement, it gets America nowhere as a nation and removes the safety net that protects every citizen. Activists and liberals have been non stop promoting defunding the police. Lawmakers are even seeking legislation to pass sweeping reforms aimed at tightening accountability by police departments for uses of force and banning excessive force tactics such as the use of chokeholds, tear gas, and pepper spray. 

Lawmakers are also focusing on reinvesting in other areas where racial disparities exist, such as education, jobs, and housing rather than dismantling law enforcement agencies altogether. 

Angela has also spoken out and condemned the use of violence against police officers and other tactics such as looting and burning – which she said has marred many of the peaceful protests in dozens of cities across the country. 

These actions are dividing us as a nation. Generational systemic injustice is never solved with looting, burning, destruction of property, and killing in the name of justice. Liberals in the position of authority are abusing their power to create an excuse out of discrimination and disparity to loot and burn their own communities. To promote this movement and keep the momentum going.

There are many solutions to what is happening in our nation but this is not it.