Suspect of Shooting Harris County Deputy Sheriff Arrested - Madi Thoele, 4th period

Summary: Shannon J. Miles, a black man suspected of killing white Deputy Sheriff Darren H. Goforth near Houston, Texas, has been in police custody since this Saturday. On Friday night, Goforth, a 10-year veteran of the Harris County Sheriff's Office, was fueling his patrol car at a gas station when Miles walked up behind him, shot him multiple times in the back with a handgun, and drove off. Goforth died at the scene. Although Miles's motive is unknown, authorities infer Goforth was targeted because he was wearing a uniform and that the murder was unprovoked. His criminal record includes convictions of disorderly conduct with a firearm, trespassing, and resisting arrest.

Analysis: If his supposed motive is true, I understand Miles is extremely upset with the way black people have been treated by the police recently. However, this injustice does not give him permission to take the life of a police officer while unprovoked. This incident reminds me of the Civil Rights Movement. Some protesters acted out violently, using weapons and threatening authority. Others, like Martin Luther King, Jr. and his followers, protested peacefully and without using force. Black history has shown that peaceful protesting is the strategy that has given the protesters (like Martin Luther King, Jr.) what they wanted. Unfortunately, the fight to end institutionalized racism is not over yet, but it seems like shooting police officers is not the way to go. Violence will not solve anything. Let's do something productive to change what has been programmed in people's minds for generations.

Link: http://www.cnn.com/2015/08/29/us/texas-sheriffs-deputy-shot-gas-station/index.html