Mississippi or Just America?
A case in Mississippi with eerie similarities to the Ahmaud Arbery murder case with a much happier ending.
In 1964, Nina Simone wrote and recorded “Mississippi G-----” (expletive deleted). The talented and fearless jazz singer was inspired to write the caustically titled song after the kidnapping and murder of three civil rights workers in Jackson.
Today, we have another story of violence and racism in Mississippi.
D’Monterrio Gibson was in the town of Brookhaven making a Fed-Ex delivery in a Hertz van but was wearing his Fed-Ex uniform.
One White man driving a pickup truck began chasing Mr. Gibson, who then encountered another White man who ordered him to stop. When Mr. Gibson refused to stop, the man in the street fired at least five shots into the delivery van.
Fifty-eight-year-old Gregory Case and his thirty-eight-year-old son Brandon Case were arrested and charged with a variety of offenses that do not include attempted murder, and potential hate crime charges are being pushed by Mr. Gibson’s attorney.
This case is dramatically similar to the Ahmaud Arbery murder case in Georgia, where Travis and Gregory McMichael and their accomplice, William Bryan, used pickup trucks to corner Mr. Arbery before Travis McMichael murdered him.
Both cases involved a White father and son attempting to forcibly detain a Black man using pickups trucks and firearms.
Fortunately, Mr. Gibson’s attackers did not have a third accomplice, so he was able to escape and is alive today.
Mr. Arbery wasn’t so fortunate.
And unfortunately for Mr. Gibson, there is no video tape of the confrontation, which is allowing the Brookhaven police to file lesser charges against the Cases.
No attempted murder charges. Instead, the Cases were charged with “feloniously attempting to cause bodily injury with a firearm and a deadly weapon and unlawfully and feloniously conspiring to commit aggravated assault.”
The police say that the charges are based on the available evidence.
Different states, but same story.
Two or three Whites, armed and driving pickups, go after a young Black man who seemed suspicious.
The police either don’t make initial charges or make charges that don’t reflect the severity of the crimes committed.
Unless there is a miraculous development, there will not be a smoking gun video.
Unfortunately, smoking guns, or in the case of the McMichael’s, a smoking shotgun, is not enough when the perpetrators are White and the victim Black.