Aiyana Stanley-Jones; Murdered by Detroit Police Officer

On May 16, 2010, Aiyana Stanley-Jones, 7 years old, was murdered in her sleep by Officer Joseph Weekley, who shot her in the head with his sub-machine gun. She was sleeping on the couch at her grandmothers house when Weekley and other officers raided the wrong apartment. This is a tragic but sadly perfect example of how cops shoot without caution, care or out of “fear for their lives”.

After an officer outside threw a flash grenade threw the window and Weekley could see, he pointed the sub-machine gun (why do police need sub-machine guns?) at the precious 7 year old girl sleeping, and shot her in the head; killing her.

His defense? He claimed her grandmother tried to knock the gun out of his hands thus resulting in him pulling the trigger. There is no evidence of that, however. No finger prints but his are on that gun. No blood is on anyone’s hands but his own. It’s beyond me how he can sleep at night knowing he aimed his gun and killed a sleeping child and then lied, blaming the grandmother for his actions. She had been traumatized enough without his cruel words being spoken. How could anyone with a heart even fathom to kill anyone much less an innocent child; and then place the blame on the grandmother, who witnessed the entire thing? That is a special kind of evil.

Aiyana’s grandmother says she never touched the officer but instead ran towards her granddaughter, which makes complete sense for a human being to do in this situation. We don’t even need the physical evidence to know that what happened is exactly what her grandma said happened as it’s basic human nature. But the physical evidence should have helped.

It took three years before the officer was taken to trial. Weekley has been tried twice for this horrific crime, both resulting in deadlock or a mistrial. Interestingly enough, the defense proposed a motion that the judge at the first trial denied. The judge in the second case for some reason decided to approve the same motion, which dismissed the felony charge of “involuntary” manslaughter. Because of Judge Cynthia Gray Hathaway’s decision to accept the motion by defense Aiyana’s case cannot be appealed under law. The defense attorney said the following in response:

“Today we personally informed the family of Aiyana Stanley-Jones that we have made a decision that we would not be going to trial for a third time in the Joseph Weekley case. It is unfortunate that Judge Cynthia Gray Hathaway granted a directed verdict dismissing the felony Manslaughter charge, leaving only the misdemeanor count of Careless Discharge Causing Injury or Death. Under the law her decision cannot be appealed.  On Friday, January 30, 2015 at 9:00 a.m., we will move to dismiss the case.”

What a wonderful nation we have; what a wonderful legal system we have, that allows killers to get off and then ensure there are no more appeals or He swore to protect citizens, but that is the last thing he did. Police should be held to a higher standard than citizens when they murder someone; especially a sleeping child. Outrage should be seen across this nation; but nothing like that has happened nor will it.

Weekely is still on the streets as a cop. He has never been punished for this unspeakable crime. During the investigation he was placed on paid leave, which is nothing more than a paid vacation. That’s no punishment and he hasn’t had any form of discipline whatsoever for the murder of Aiyana Stanley-Jones.

How many more times do we have to go through this; how many times does police murder and beatings have to occur before the people, including you the reader get angry and we all unite against the true enemy?

Status of Police Whom Murdered 7 Year Old Aiyana in Detroit …

In the past I wrote a post about young Aiyana Stanley-Jones, 7, and the horrific murder she endured at the hands of police officers who raided the wrong apartment. Even though a neighbor had warned the team that children were inside the apartment they planned on raiding, the police carried on with their MP5 sub-machine guns and stun grenades.

Aiyana had just fallen asleep in the living room of her grandmother’s house in Detroit when they began their attack, ending with the loss of a 7 year old child’s life by an officer’s gun. The trial against the cops who murdered the child is ongoing, words cannot describe the disgust I feel more and more each day towards cops.

One thing I must note is what one cop said in trial that puts my anger over the top. When the prosecution asked if knowing children were in the apartment (as they of course deny knowing even though a neighbor testified they in fact did know) would have changed their tactic, he said probably not, showing the care for children as well as risking the life of 7 year old Aiyana isn’t something he considers important. Child and human safety is not vital to him; knowing this, how can anyone expect me or anyone else to respect and trust cops?

If we must have cops then we need a better system than this. But we never will have it, for the system is corrupt from the top officials to the lowest.

Below is an article written by Corey Williams, link and such follow.

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Beneath a multi-colored quilt of Disney cartoon characters, 7-year-old Aiyana Stanley-Jones lay peacefully on the living room couch of her grandmother’s first-floor flat on Detroit’s east side.

Mertilla Jones lay at the other end, having recently put the girl to sleep.

Within seconds – maybe as few as three – a stun grenade smashed through a window, exploding over the couch. Armed, black-clad and masked police officers swarmed into the living room and, moments later, Aiyana lay bleeding to death with a gunshot wound to her head.

“As soon as they came in, their guns were just pointing right there, and he pulled the trigger,” Aiyana’s grandmother, Mertilla Jones said Monday of Joseph Weekley during the Detroit police officer’s involuntary manslaughter trial in Wayne County Circuit Court.

ACLU Filing Complaint Against Detroit Police Regarding Abuse of Homeless People

Apologies for the lack of posts lately… I am currently working on two big projects and a few side projects for this website and in the process of creating external resources….but more on that late…

Once more, a post regarding the homeless being treated less than they deserve… In sum, the homeless people of Detroit, MI, have suffered abuse at the hands of many; including cops. Detroit officers apparently have a sick habit of taking what money the homeless individual does have, or, a very tragic habit of forcing homeless people into vans, driving them away from the area which they were in, then dropping them off somewhere random. This too often tends to be in new, unfamiliar areas where they were abandon without assistance or help in the unfamiliar location.

So, after a long investigation which lasted a year,

Severely Disabled Man At Imminent Risk of Losing Home

This breaks my heart. I am aware most of my posts are negative and all break my heart which means they all send fire through me to make sure I do anything I can to help. I hope it does you, too. Real news is what we need to know about and then take some form of action against or to help raise awareness. Truth is usually not easy to read or hear, but it’s vital if we are to come together and SURVIVE.

For over 20 years Mr. Jones was a teacher in Detroit until 2005, when he suffered a traumatic brain injury and has since become severely disabled. While waiting for his pension to be processed, and for Social Security to come through, he fell behind on his mortgage payments and now is in IMMEDIATE AND URGENT DANGER OF BEING EVICTED. He personally wrote a letter to Wells Fargo explaining his situation and also had a phone conference with them to discuss a loan.

Many organizations against foreclosures and evictions are asking for any and all help in helping a disabled man by the name of S. Baxter Jones, keep his home and avoid eviction.  He has already had so much taken; why must they aim for his HOME?

And it is not as if Mr. Jones hasn’t tried. Wells Fargo refused to work with him and went ahead with the foreclosure despite the fact that Jones had finally begun to get his Social Security benefits. And to show just how much the government doesn’t care, here is a depressing but telling fact I read in an article regarding this situation on workers.org :

He faces imminent eviction from his home, where he has lived since 2002 in Jackson, Mich. What makes this even more outrageous is that Mr. Jones’ loan was sold to Fannie Mae, which has been taken over by the federal government.

“That means our tax dollars are being used to throw this disabled former school teacher into the street.”

To see a video describing this outrage go to tinyurl.com/colqvd8.

Not only does it mean tax payers are paying to throw him out, it also means while they were waiting for their “precious” mortgage payments, the same government which took over those demanding the money, was taking its time, not concerned by the fact that their long process to receive benefits could extremely impact a persons life! It’s all a stupid, heartless cycle, isn’t it? A home should be a basic human right. And if they won’t give us that, they should at least give people who need it, help immediately so they don’t risk everything being lost due to the government’s lack of care.

Detroit Eviction Defense and the Moratorium NOW! Coalition to Stop Foreclosures, Evictions and Utility Shutoffs are asking for support to help S. Baxter Jones. Let’s join them and make that a reality!!!!

Call them and tell them to leave this man who has suffered enough ALONE! If they want the money so bad, he has informed them he can pay.

“When calling, refer to Loan# 025 301 6042 for address 8789 Rexford Road, Jackson, MI 49201; contact phone numbers: Fannie Mae Chicago Office: 312-368-6200; Fannie Mae Mortgage Help Center: 866-442-8572; Wells Fargo Office of Executive Complaint: 800-853-8516. “

and you can show your support via the post from Occupy Our Homes by clicking HERE.