In a recent episode of Hard Knock Radio, host Davey D spoke with activist Silky Slim, who works closely with attorney Ben Crump, about the troubling case of Sonya Massey in Illinois. Massey, who called the police for help suspecting a prowler near her home, was shockingly shot in the face by one of the officers who responded. The officer involved had been previously fired from five different agencies.
Silky Slim highlighted the systemic issues that allow officers with problematic histories to continue working in law enforcement. He stressed, Were trying to stop those officers that are fired or have been let go by certain departments from being employed by law enforcement again. He expressed concern over how officers like the one who shot Massey manage to “hop across the chessboard” of law enforcement jobs, despite their records.
The conversation delved deeper into the specifics of the Massey case, where the officer not only shot Massey but attempted to manipulate the scenario by turning off his body camera. Slim explained, “This officer was a troublemaker; he had been fired for other violations.” He described the officers actions as not just troubled but evil, premeditated, and indicative of a deeper malignancy within some parts of the police force.
Addressing the broader implications, Slim criticized systemic failures that allow such individuals to cycle through various departments, endangering communities. He mentioned legislative efforts like the George Floyd policing bill aimed at preventing such officers from being rehired elsewhere.
The discussion also touched on the emotional and societal impacts of police violence. Slim shared insights from his extensive work with families affected by police violence, including George Floyd’s family. He detailed the lasting trauma these families endure, noting that the emotional scars reopen with each new incident of police brutality. Every family that Ive worked with called me yesterday. Its a trigger for them, he said, illustrating the widespread and continuing distress caused by such events.
Silky Slim called for sustained attention and reform to address these critical issues in law enforcement. He urged listeners to remain vigilant and proactive in demanding accountability and systemic changes to prevent further tragedies and ensure justice for victims like Sonya Massey and their families.
Later we speak with Zeiad Abbas Shamrouch the Executive Director at the Middle East Childrens Alliance in Berkeley about Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, address to a joint session of Congress on Wednesday, dismissed as utter nonsense criticisms by the United Nations, human rights groups and others that his government has committed war crimes in Gaza and derided protesters as idiots and tools of Iran.
Zeiad Abbas Shamrouch is a Palestinian refugee from Dheisheh Refugee camp in the West Bank. He is the cofounder of the Ibdaa Cultural Center in Dheisheh where he served as Co-Director from 1994 to 2008. Zeiad is also a journalist who has worked with Palestinian and international media and has participated in the production of several documentary films. He has a Master of Arts in Social Justice and Intercultural Relations from the School for International Training Graduate Institute. Zeiad is the Executive Director at the Middle East Childrens Alliance in Berkeley.
Hard Knock Radio is a drive-time Hip-Hop talk show on KPFA (94.1fm @ 4-5 pm Monday-Friday), a community radio station without corporate underwriting, hosted by Davey D and Anita Johnson.