With too many recent reports of police brutality across the U.S., this recently resurfaced story is offering some comfort in the knowledge that sometimes victims do get the justice they deserve.
In July of 2009, police showed up at 87-year-old Venus Green’s door without a warrant. Her grandson, Tallie, had just been shot and wounded inside a convenience store.
For some reason, the police believed the shooting had happened at Green’s home, and wanted to come inside to search her basement, where her grandson lived at the time.
But Green didn’t want to let the police officers inside without a warrant. She described the struggle with one of the officers to the local WbalTV:
“He dragged me, threw me across the chair, put handcuffs on me and just started calling me the ‘b’ name. He ridiculed me.”
When the officer went inside the basement, Green managed to lock the basement door with him still inside.
“This was my private home, and if I latched it, that was my prerogative because he had no search warrant to go in my basement. So I had to right to latch it.”
The struggle left her with a separated shoulder, and deep disappointment in the way she was treated,
“I was once a block watcher, department head of a high school. [I’ve] been around education for over 50 years. [I’m a] law-abiding citizen, I’ve never been arrested, I paid my taxes… [A]nd I have been brutally abused.”
After 4 years, the City of Baltimore agreed to a $95,000 settlement, even though the officer was detained by force in Green’s basement. Maybe the police department did listen to Green’s advice:
“I feel like the Police Department need to go back to school.”
Unfortunately, Green didn’t get much of a chance to enjoy her settlement, as she tragically passed away only six weeks later.
But her case gives hope to others suffering police brutality.
There are so many good people choosing to join the police force, willing to risk their lives to protect us citizens. It’s an enormous tragedy when the system is being misused by ignorance and unnecessary violence. Let’s hope the ones at fault, at the very least, are sent back to school.
Featured image screengrab via YouTube.
