On the last week of 2020, when the media covered the disturbing case of an unarmed black man, Andre Hill, who was recently killed by a police officer in Columbus, Ohio, submitted misleading statistics to CNN and CBS about the number of African Americans who have been killed by police officers since George Floyd’s death in May.
On Monday, two CNN shows – New Day and CNN Tonight – gave a forum for liberal civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump to cite reports on the number of blacks killed by police officers since May, without mentioning that most of those killed were from other racial groups of the same Period. Blacks are more likely to be killed in police incidents, but many more whites are killed (and are usually considered out of date).
On Wednesday, CBS This Morning released another report in which co-host Jericka Duncan cited reports that more than 100 blacks have been killed since May, without mentioning the numbers, which include other racial groups.
When Crump appeared as a guest on New Day, he complained:
And we are calling for the police’s other bodycam video to be released so the world can see that they will continue to show disrespect for unarmed blacks in 2020 after seeing George Floyd – after seeing Jacob Blake Jr. – after you saw Ahmaud Arbery – – How many more black people would die in 2020 before we say, “Enough is enough.” This is 96 black people killed by police since the death of George Floyd on May 25th.
Co-host Alisyn Camerota asked for clarification when she followed up, “So, just so I’m clear, are you saying 96 unarmed black people shot since George Floyd?”
Crump seemed to be vaguely admitting that some of the cases he cited weren’t necessarily unarmed when he replied, “We know The Guardian said 96 black people – black men and women – and there may be different circumstances, but we know that number during a pandemic, it is just shocking to think of George Floyd who was supposed to be the tipping point where we stopped … “
On the same day, the CNN Tonight, Crump appeared again, giving a slightly lower number, but still without the context of including other racial groups: “Now look what happens to Andre Hill three days before Christmas, Don. I mean , an unarmed black man with a cell phone – 76 black people have been killed by police since George Floyd was killed on May 25, 2020 in Minneapolis. “
Don Lemon did not question his guest’s claims when the CNN host followed: “What about getting justice in this case, Ben?”
And the next morning, CBS’s Jericka Duncan quoted another source in a report on Andre Hill’s murder: “According to records, more than 100 black people have been killed by police since the day after George Floyd’s death in May.”
However, the Washington Post’s database of fatal police shootings finds that of a total of 981 police shooting deaths recorded for all of 2020, at least 432 whites (44 percent) and 223 blacks (23 percent) were reported), 155 Hispanics ( 16 percent), 22 other races, and 149 indefinite races.
The total number of people classified as unarmed is 40, including 17 white, 13 black, six Hispanics, one Asian and three indeterminate races.
We found that CNN’s New Day highlighted just one example of a victim in a white police shootout all year round. This was a 16-year-old case from 2004, care being taken to undermine the Kenosha, Wisconsin Police Department where Jacob Blake was recently killed.
The episode of CBS This Morning was sponsored in part by Cadillac. Your contact information is linked.
Transcripts follow:
CNN
New day
December 28, 2020
7:42 a.m. East
BENJAMIN CRUMP, CIVIL RIGHTS LAWYER: And we are calling for the police’s other bodycam video to be released so the world can see they show disrespect to unarmed blacks in 2020 after seeing George Floyd – after seeing Jacob Blake Jr. . – after seeing Ahmaud Arbery – how many black people would die in 2020 before we say “enough is enough”. This is 96 black people killed by police since the death of George Floyd on May 25th.
ALISYN CAMEROTA: So, just so I’m clear, are you saying 96 unarmed black people who have been shot since George Floyd?
CRUMP: We know The Guardian named 96 black people – black men and women – and there may be different circumstances, but we know that during a pandemic, that number is only shocking when you think of George Floyd, the the supposed to be the tipping point where we stopped and the fact that Andre Hill was wearing a Black Lives Matter t-shirt that read “Justice for George Floyd” when he was shot.
(…)
CNN Tonight
December 28, 2020
10:55 p.m.
BENJAMIN CRUMP, CIVIL RIGHTS LAWYER: Now watch what happens to Andre Hill three days before Christmas, Don. I mean, an unarmed black man with a cell phone – 76 black people have been killed by police since George Floyd was killed in Minneapolis on May 25, 2020. And Don, we all thought this was going to be a turning point where it wouldn’t, but how many black people have to be killed before 2020 ends?
DON LEMON: In this case, what about getting justice, Ben?
(…)
CBS this morning
December 29, 2020
7:17 am
BENJAMIN CRUMP, CIVIL RIGHTS LAWYER: George Floyd was supposed to be the turning point we saw these murders.
JERICKA DUNCAN: According to records, more than 100 black people have been killed by police since the day after George Floyd’s death in May.
CRUMP: And what’s so ironic is the fact that Andre Hill was wearing a Black Lives Matter shirt and had a picture of George Floyd on it when he was shot by those cops.
Comments are closed.