Bradley Barnes told Jackson Jambalaya he thinks the group of men who beat his brother-in-law and another man Saturday Night at a Huddle House in West Point should be prosecuted for attempted murder as well as a hate crime.
A group of black men beat David Knighten and Ralph Weems late Saturday night. Mr. Barnes is married to the sister of Mr. Weems. They are white. He said Knighten and Weems went to the Waffle House in West Point. He said Weems had already entered the restaurant when a black man motioned Knighten to come over. He told them they did not need to go into the Waffle House as they (the black men inside) were "all upset about Ferguson". Knighten entered the diner and saw an argument taking place between Weems and several black men. The two white men left but the arguing continued in the parking lot. The police were called and dispersed everyone when they arrived. Knighten and Weems then went to the Huddle House a mile away. Barnes said he was told no racial slurs were used at the Waffle House by anyone.
Barnes said the parking lot was mainly empty when they arrived at the restaurant. Knighten went to the bathroom. He returned to find Weems confronted by several black men who followed them from the Waffle House. Both men were cornered by the group as even more arguing took place. Weems left to get in his vehicle but Knighten was prevented from leaving by the group as they tried to separate the two.
Knighten was forced to fight his way outside to the parking lot. He saw Weems on the ground getting "kicked and stomped" by a group of black men. He said there were close to twenty people in the parking lot. He told Barnes he didn't know how many people were kicking Weems, as he was fighting six to eight men himself. The former Marine somehow fought his way over to Weems and got between Weems and the crowd. Knighten pulled out a .45 caliber handgun (he holds a CCW permit) and pointed it at the crowd. The crowd immediately fled. Barnes said Knighten didn't draw the gun earlier because he didn't want to shoot into a crowd, hit someone innocent, have it taken away, or have someone else pull a gun. He said he drew his weapon when he saw how bad Weems was injured. The police arrived after the crowd dispersed. Barnes said Knighten told him racial slurs were used by the attackers but did not specify what was said.
Knighten has broken bones in his hands, a cut over his left eye, and a blood clot in his right eye. He went to the hospital and was released. The injuries to Weems are much worse. He was airlifted to North Mississippi Medical Center in Tupelo and underwent emergency brain surgery. Doctors removed a portion of his skull that was fractured and placed the two pieces in his belly for possible re-attachment at a later date. Weems is in an induced coma. Barnes said Weems woke up this morning, opened his eyes, and tried to sit up but doctors reinduced the coma to aid his recovery. Barnes said he can breathe on his own but has been placed on a ventilator as a precaution, so his body does not have to work to breath. His brain did swell although his limbs moved some after surgery. Barnes said the family and doctors are waiting to see if the swelling will go down. The damage to Weems' brain is not known.
Monday, August 25, 2014
Brother-in-law of victim wants hate crime and attempted murder prosecution.
Barnes said police told him they have leads. He said the attack is not being investigated as a hate crime but instead as an aggravated assault. Barnes said "I want it treated as a hate crime because that’s what it was
but they won’t because its black on white and that’s the world we live in. I just want justice for Ralph and David
because that is what they deserve. Even
these guys who did it, they are innocent until proven guilty but I do want
justice for these guys." Barnes said if Knighten had not drawn his weapon when he did, the group "would have kept kicking and beating Weems until he was dead."
Knighten has a wife but no children. Weems is a 32-year old student at Mississippi State University and served in the Marine Corps.
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42 comments:
And now the rest of the story. The CL won't report any of those controversial details. And the gun. They'll leave out the CC part.
I don't believe in "hate crimes". But, this seems comparable the others that have been charged as such. For hate crime statutes to be just, they must be applied across the board.
This will show you how much gumption Jim Hood has and if he fears a primary. If the local DA won't push it, will Hood step in?
Maybe Knighten should have pulled the trigger. I don't know, and I'd hate to be placed in the position of having to make that decision. I'm afraid we've waited too long to address the racial animus directed at white people. The hatred seems to be reaching critical mass as more and more kids exit the school system primed to believe the worst about "white oppressors." Bad deal all around, but hate crime and attempted murder charges sound perfectly reasonable to me. Prayers for Weems and his family.
The laws are make to only protect blacks. Hood will file charges against the white men.
A security guard was mentioned in the initial report. Did the guard witness the altercation. Did other employees offer statements? Did other patrons in the restaurant witness or offer statements?
What about possible witnesses (employees and patrons) from Waffle House who witnessed the initial argument, and can identify the "twenty" in the "mob" who followed the two white men after they left Waffle House?
Local LE had better be doing some legwork if they haven't done so already. Did you talk to LE, KingFish, and had your source given a statement to police or could your source verify whether or not either victim had provided statements to police that validate statements reported to you by the source?
Chief of Police shouldn't making statements ruling out anything until investigation is completed to a point ruling out any motive(s).
You can be assured that the charges to be prosecuted will not be determined by the West Point Police Chief, aka Barney Fife. Forrest Allgood will decide if there is a provable case against one or more identified individuals, and moreover, what said charges will be. DAs control what charges are prosecuted because they have the only contact with the Grand Jury.
No one should be jumping to conclusions about this statement or any other statement just yet.
But,most everyone will " choose up sides" and never bother to get the verifiable facts after they have a chance to be clearly known.
And, we wonder why race relations are so bad...
Allgood is a hack and couldn't convict a squirrel of stealing nuts
5:03 hasn't spent a hell of a lot of time in the 16th Circuit Court district if he thinks Forrest can't get a conviction. And his ADA's are just as gung-ho as they come in Mississippi.
Sounds like it depends a lot on what the racial slurs were that were used. Did they call them crackers? Honkeys? White boys?
5:03, Allgood is a bit strange, but he is no "hack" in a courtroom. He has had some controversial cases in 25 years as the DA, and 9 more as an ADA, but he's been an effective prosecutor. There are a lot of people in Parchman, aka MDOC, that would wish your view is accurate.
anybody gonna go looting tonight?
Do you know what the difference is between discrimination by a black person against a white person is? DISCRIMINATION. There is no such thing as "reverse discrimination".
Same thing holds true with hate crimes. It is a hate crime if a black person beats a white person just because of his race just like it would be a hate crime if a white person beat a black person just because of his race.
NO DIFFERENCE!
They caught one of the attackers, and apparently know the identity of some others. All from Okolona. More information will come out soon...
" I'm afraid we've waited too long to address the racial animus directed at white people"
We, I guess that means you. Nice work, loser.
For the pseudo-concern trolls, the perpetrators will be charged and sentenced. Keep that in mind as you post those genius screeds to your social media pages.
Anonymous said...
anybody gonna go looting tonight?
August 25, 2014 at 6:51 PM
No...we've all got to go to work tomorrow
What happened to the old white man that got the shit beat out of him by three blacks while getting his morning paper a few weeks ago? Did he pull through? Were hate crime charges pursued?
Also, let's not forget about Ricky Saxton, the well liked gentleman from yazoo that was shot execution style. I have a hunch this was a hate crime, but our outstanding law enforcement don't even have a suspect, so we can't be sure.
http://www.newsms.fm/murdered-wrecker-call-family-yazoo-man-thinks-set/
Looks like the police chief is backtracking on those "it's not a hate crime" comments.
From the CL: "It's up to the Grand Jury to make this determination. All we do is process the evidence and turn the case over to the District Attorney who in turn presents it to the Grand Jury. It's within their discretion to add the hate crime enhancement," Brinkley said.
There's a way to end racism that we haven't tried:
"Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land." 2 Chronicles 7:14
If we CHRISTIANS quit porn, drugs, fornication, cursing, hating, loving money, adultery (remarrying when previous spouses live is adultery per Luke 16:18), and pray with tears, then GOD will fix the USA.
Wow. I thinks that's totally worth doing.
9:31 How is this a double standard? These are failures of the state and local law enforcement, along with the respective local district attorneys. Did you research any of the cases you mentioned, or did you have those links stashed on your Facebook page, in case you needed to post some "OH NOZ DUBBLE STANDERD" memes?
Anyone that denies the disgusting double standard of the enforcement of mississippi's hate crime law is a damn fool.
And, 6:24 am, anyone that doesn't "believe in hate crimes" is a damn fool as well.
The reason a black is not yet charged is that there isn't a history of blacks going around attacking whites simply for being white. Motivation is not so clear. When there are organized groups based on hating whites for being whites, the proof of hate as the motivation might be easier to establish. And, it's harder to establish that the perp was motivated by hate if there isn't evidence of prejudicial group affiliation or publicly pronounced hatred by the perp. Nor when evidence of oppression of whites by blacks has provoked the violence.
I agree that that is changing and blacks can be just as prejudiced as any other racial or religious group.
Blacks will have their groups just as focused on race as the Klan or the Neo-Nazis.
Prejudice and hatred and tribalism is winning world wide and I'm quite sure in a few more years , there will be no hate crimes as we will all just be killing one another.
If we survive as a species, the winners can oppress the losers and we'll just start over until next time.
Thanks for speeding that along.
I stopped reading 7:35 at 'there isn't a history of blacks going around assaulting whites'
Bullshit.
The problem with your post, 7:35, is in your second sentence. Please tell me how there is to be a history of blacks committing hate crimes against whites when none are never charged as such?
So per 7:35s post, the case of Devin Dickey and Fred Jackson definitely should have been hate crimes. As both of these clearly are instances where blacks went out hunting whites.
Scenario reversal,,,,,this is all you have to consider to ascertain the double standard.
A group of white men confront a couple of black men telling them this restaurant isn't safe for blacks or whatever epitaphs you would like to use. Then they follow them and attack them.
Al and Jessie and Holder are down here within 24 hours. Book it.
And don't come on here telling us, "well that's what happened in the 60's! We aren't in the f*ckin 60's! This kid from Okolona was born in 1992. A long way from the 60's.
Umm Black Panthers, Nation of Islam, New Afrika, any gang who has an initiation of hurting a white person
Drudge has picked up the story.
So apparently the first time I asked this was deemed offensive, so let me ask again.
Who decided that the crimes against Devin Dickey and Fred Jackson were not hate crimes?
Ummm... Nation of Islam isn't physically attacking whites nor do they encourage it, Black Panthers urged responding to violence with violence not initiating violence and if a person is a member of a gang with that initiation then it should be provable in court rather than be urban legend.
I'd also point out that saying whites are oppressive and untrustworthy and we should look out for our own is very different from saying whites are inferior on several levels as a race.
this is just a guess....but 12:45, you voted for Thad, didn't you?
The NOI whole basis is that blacks are a superior race and want segregation. if you think the black panther party is only responding to violence well there is no chance for you in race relations.
1:05 I'm pretty sure 12:45 is a Childers supporter
And,you voted for McDaniel because you never got the memo that it's none of your business how I vote unless I choose to tell you!
If you are stereotyping people because of their race or religion and not judging them by what they do or say, you're prejudiced.
If you believe a white person over a black person because of their color and not because you personally know them to be honorable, you're prejudiced.
If you believe a liberal or a RINO or anybody that isn't just like you can't ever be correct on any given issue and all Tea Party people are honorable and never wrong, you are just stupid.
1:40
My point exactly. Hence why he voted for Thad.
Are you idiots really arguing over the effing senate race in a comment thread about a man who is fighting for his life? Y'all need to go sit in a corner and stew.
The FBI is involved now. Not that that means there will be justice. But if they don't at least charge them with attempted murder, because weems supposedly said the n word, the next black that calls me a cracker will be drug behind my pickup until he's an inch of his life. An aggregates assault charge is worth it. There's no difference in the two.
12:45
The nation of islam is led by Louis Farrakhan. That' should be enough on that subject.
The Southern Poverty Law Center (guess which way they lean) says this about the Black Panther Party - a virulently racist and anti-Semitic organization whose leaders have encouraged violence against whites, Jews and law enforcement officers. Founded in Dallas, the group today is especially active on the East Coast, from Boston to Jacksonville, Fla. The group portrays itself as a militant, modern-day expression of the black power movement (it frequently engages in armed protests of alleged police brutality and the like
7:35
Everyone had prejudice, it's a part of what makes them human. This drive to force individuals to accept all others applies pressure that forces out bad behavior. Simply accepting that some people do not like others and leaving it at that, would allow society to concentrate on the truly barbaric, including those that believe a certain race is higher than another. So-called "hate crimes" water down true racially-motivated crimes. Alas, though, at it's base a crime is a crime and labeling them as hate, race or whatever should not be a part of a supposed blind justice system.
I would laugh at all these whites who are jumping on this story comparing it to Ferguson. I would laugh because you all want to be victims so bad. You shout about things are unfair, double standards. Well that's the way black folks feel everyday. I would laugh at you all because you say blacks rushed to judgement about Ferguson, when whites just did the same thing about the killing salt lake. The Taylor boy that was shot by the police was not white! I would laugh at the guys at West Point because if someone told me it was not safe to go into a place for whatever reason, then I would heed their warning. I would laugh but I can't because I'm too busy crying for another young life lost. Too busy thinking about the man in the hospital at West Point. Think about that one.
Nobody deserves to be beaten to an inch of their life over an argument just like nobody deserves to be killed over being resistant.
But the saddest reality of it all is everyday we fight over the colors black and white when it is quite obvious that the only color that matters is green. Let's put it in perspective; slavery was about money, getting rich off of free labor. It turn into a skin color problem because there were some white slaves, but they could run off the plantation, relocate and "blend in" so to speak. But blacks could not do that. Even those blacks who were freemen could be enslaved very easily. The civil war wasn't about freeing the slaves cause it the right thing to do, it was about economics! fast forward to civil rights movement. The only reason the Montgomery bus boycott was successful was because the loss of revenue forced them to change policies. If the USA was all white, then the poor would be the new black. Money has always rule. The president (including the ones before obama) doesn't run the country, the money behind him does.
Fat man,
You are right. Slavery was about the money. It was about African Blacks selling their brothers and sisters into slavery to a new world that didn't care about the color of the skin except that Blacks could handle the heat better than white slaves.
When the English economy grew and improved, the New World was lacking in indentured servants, so landowners resorted to slaves. But the slaves sold to the colonies/U.S. was only about 5% of the number brought to the West. The vast majority of African slaves were brought to the Caribbean, Central and South America.
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