Abolaji Omitogun and Mia Boykin
Would former President Donald Trump have been shot if the shooter had been Black? Would an Arab shooter have stood out more, been spotted, or neutralized faster?
These questions highlight the persistent issue of racial profiling by law enforcement in the United States. There is a notable disparity in trust towards law enforcement between Black and White communities. Only 58% of Black respondents had a favorable opinion of local police, compared to 85% of White respondents.
The stark contrast between the treatment of Thomas Matthew Crooks and the recent killing of Samuel Sharpe Jr. exemplifies the enduring racial bias within law enforcement, even when it involves protecting a high-profile figure like the Republican nominee.
Thomas Matthew Crooks, a right-wing extremist, meticulously planned an assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump. Armed with an AR-style rifle, he opened fire at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, killing one person and injuring several others.
Yet, because Crooks was white, he wasn’t immediately perceived as a threat by the police and Secret Service. According to a poll by the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF), 41% of Black Americans report having been stopped or detained by police due to their race. Additionally, 21% of Black adults, including 30% of Black men, have experienced police violence.
Maybe he blended in easier with the crowd, but did he blend in enough to place a ladder on the side of a building? Did he blend in enough to set up a rifle directly aimed at Trump’s head? Had Crooks been a person of color, he likely would have been stopped or even killed before he could carry out his violent plan.
Crooks, a 20-year-old from Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, executed his plan with disturbing precision. He researched Trump’s rally dates, stored photos of political figures, including Trump and President Joe Biden, and climbed to a rooftop outside the rally’s security perimeter to open fire. Despite these clear indicators of a premeditated attack, Crooks was able to blend in seamlessly because of his race. His background as a registered Republican may have allowed him to fly under the radar as a perceived threat, but at the moment, his whiteness shined bright. His ability to get so close to the former president without being immediately perceived as a threat is a glaring example of how racial bias affects policing.
During a hearing about the Secret Service’s failure to prevent the shooting, Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, questioned whether racial bias played a role in the slow response to deem Crooks a threat. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle testified that bias training is part of their officers’ training, but the incident raised questions about the effectiveness of such training and the potential influence of racial bias in law enforcement decisions.
In Comparison: Samuel Sharpe Jr.
Consider the recent tragic killing of Samuel Sharpe Jr., an unhoused Black man, by five out-of-state police officers near the Republican National Convention (RNC) in Milwaukee on July 18. Sharpe was shot and killed within 15 seconds of officers noticing he had a knife. The officers, who were from Ohio, claimed Sharpe posed a threat, but the speed and decisiveness of their lethal response starkly contrasted with how Crooks was treated.
The story starts with Sharpe having an argument with another unhoused man, catching the attention of the police nearby, who were in their designated zone to protect the RNC. The police were there to halt demonstrations and protect Trump if there was another assassination threat, not to escalate situations to the point of murder.
Walking While Black
Research published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that 1 in 1,000 Black men and boys can expect to be killed by police at some point in their lifetime. Black males are 2.5 times more likely to be killed by police than White males
Daquan, a 17-year-old who witnessed the shooting, said he didn’t see a knife, although body cam footage later showed Sharpe holding something sharp. One could argue that the police were on edge because the Trump attack had just occurred days before. However, a knife doesn’t have the same range of threat as an AR-15.
The rapid escalation to lethal force in Sharpe’s case underscores the different standards applied based on race. This incident has intensified concerns among Milwaukee’s Black community about the impact of the RNC and the protections for local residents.
Milwaukee Police Chief Jeffrey Norman stated that the Ohio officers were in their assigned zone related to RNC duties. Data analyses show that Columbus police officers, who were involved in the shooting, are among the most lethal nationwide. The fatal shooting of Sharpe has sparked outrage and fear among Black residents, who anticipated violence would spill over into their community with the influx of thousands of out-of-state officers for the convention.
The disparity in these two cases is glaring. Crooks, a young white man who posed an immediate and lethal threat, was not perceived as a significant danger due to his race. In contrast, Sharpe, a Black man, was swiftly killed for allegedly wielding a knife a mile away from the RNC. This differential treatment underscores the systemic bias that allows white perpetrators like Crooks to be seen as less of a threat, despite their violent actions.
Crooks’ ability to carry out his violent plan is a direct result of racial bias in law enforcement. If he had been a person of color, it’s likely he would have been stopped long before he had the chance to open fire. This reality is a sobering reminder of the deep-seated issues within our policing system.
Investigation revealed that Crooks had visited the rally site twice before the shooting and had pictures of Trump and Biden on his phone. Despite warnings from local police about a suspicious person, Crooks was able to position himself on an unsecured rooftop and carry out the attack. The Secret Service and local law enforcement’s failure to secure the area and respond promptly underscores the potential impact of racial bias on security measures and threat perception.
The killing of Samuel Sharpe Jr. has prompted protests and vigils in Milwaukee, as residents demand accountability and justice. The fact that Sharpe was killed near the RNC, an event already fraught with political tension, only amplifies the urgent need to address these systemic issues as there are still months ahead for the campaign trail.
Ignoring the reality of the racism within these two cases does a disservice to the victims and obscures the real threat posed by radicalized individuals like Crooks. The United States has had an issue with isolated, young white men growing up to become mass shooters, and police dealing with protecting someone as important as Donald Trump, should recognize that, especially when they are in a rural community that is majority white. Maybe if they had considered this, Donald Trump’s ear would still be intact.
