People coast to coast, from Ferguson and Staten Island to San Francisco and the San Fernando Valley, are expressing grave concerns over the numerous incidents that involve the use of “excessive force” by an extremely small percentage of law enforcement representatives.

And, those people should be concerned.
In fact, we should all be…

The inappropriate actions of this tiny, often unqualified group of individual cops have produced a variety of negative results for everyone, including the truly brave men and women who make up the vast majority of police forces everywhere.

While it would not be possible to list all of these negative effects in one blog post, there are three in particular that we would like to shine a light on right now:

1) Unjust shootings and other uses of excessive force often result in the tragic, unnecessary deaths of our fellow citizens.

Eric Garner, Freddie Gray, and Michael Brown represent just a few of the victims who are frequently young adults and teens, particularly those of color… Another especially sorrowful example is a little 12 year old Cleveland boy, Tamir Rice…

On November 22, 2014 Tamir was shot by an on-duty police officer – 14 times in 1.8 seconds. After Tamir’s death, it was discovered that the officer responsible had failed part of his psychological testing when he previously attempted to join the police force in a different town. However, he did somehow make it onto the Cleveland force.

*By the way, the new song and video were especially inspired by Tamir’s death. Again, you can hear the song and view the video here: We Are American Lions

2) Unfortunately the abhorrent actions of a mere handful of “bad apple cops”, have created a deep-seated suspicion and distrust of all police. This includes the overwhelming number of officers who consistently “protect and serve” with dedication and respect for their communities and themselves.

3) We are now left with a series of devastating after-effects, including:
An uncooperative public that not only does not seek help from the local police, it often refuses to work with investigators at all… Suspicious, untrusting people tend to withhold the vital tips and information that law enforcement relies on to prevent and solve crime. Because of this, communities often become less safe.

The first step in bringing about a solution to these disturbing and needless tragedies, and to stop these incidents from continuing, is to raise awareness about them. Hopefully by doing so, the public trust in law enforcement can be restored which will then result in greater unity for everyone.

With these goals in mind, as previously mentioned the Angels For Justice band created the powerful new song and video entitled: “We Are American Lions”.

We strongly believe that after you view the video and hear the song, you’ll be deeply moved and want to share it with others, just as many folks already have.

Perhaps together, we can then help honor our fallen brethren, while also assisting in the healing process for us all…

Sincerely – Anthony Costa

Multi-Award-Winning Writer, Director,
Teacher, Filmmaker, Musician, Consultant

LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/pub/anthony-costa/b9/917/766

Music Website:
http://www.AngelsForJusticeMusic.com

See and hear the new music video here… “We Are American Lions”

NYPD officer Lawrence “Larry” DePrimo is just one example of an amazing police officer.

He was walking the beat in West Village on a cold November night when he noticed some people making fun of a homeless man. The man was sitting on the sidewalk wearing no shoes, so DePrimo asked him “Where are your shoes?” The man responded by saying he’s never owned a pair of shoes, so the officer decided to buy him some at a nearby store.

When DePrimo returned and helped the man put the shoes on, a woman snapped a picture of the act that went viral on Facebook. Thanks to the publicity and his years of service, DePrimo was soon promoted to Detective.

Click here to read about more police officers who have done great things!

Trayvon Martin was an American teenager killed by George Zimmerman on February 26, 2012, sparking national controversy.

Martin had no criminal record when he was shot and killed by neighborhood watch member George Zimmerman on February 26, 2012, in Sanford, Florida. Zimmerman’s arrest sparked a national debate over racial profiling and the role of armed neighborhood watch members in law enforcement. On July 13, 2013, a jury acquitted Zimmerman of murder.

Angels For Justice productions newest music video, “We Are American Lions” was written and produced to shed light on this and similar situations going on in the news these days.

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The shooting of Tamir Rice, a 12-year-old boy, occurred on November 22, 2014, in Cleveland, Ohio. Two police officers, 26-year-old Timothy Loehmann and 46-year-old Frank Garmback, responded after receiving a police dispatch call “of a male black sitting on a swing and pointing a gun at people” in a city park.

Rice’s gun was later found to be an Airsoft replica that lacked the orange safety feature marking it as a replica and not a true firearm.

Angels For Justice productions newest music video, “We Are American Lions” was written and produced to shed light on this and similar situations going on in the news these days.

On July 17, 2014, Eric Garner died in Staten Island, New York City, after a police officer put him in what has been described as a “chokehold” for about 15 to 19 seconds during an arrest. The New York City Medical Examiner’s Office attributed Garner’s death to a combination of a chokehold, compression of his chest, and poor health. NYPD policy prohibits the use of chokeholds, and the Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association, a NYPD police union, said that the officer did not use a chokehold.

Angels For Justice productions newest music video, “We Are American Lions” was written and produced to shed light on this and similar situations going on in the news these days.

The shooting of Michael Brown occurred on August 9, 2014, in Ferguson, Missouri, a northern suburb of St. Louis. Brown, an 18-year-old African-American male, was fatally shot by Darren Wilson, 28, a white Ferguson police officer. The disputed circumstances of the shooting of the unarmed young man sparked existing tensions in the majority-black city, and protests and civil unrest erupted.

Angels For Justice productions newest music video, “We Are American Lions” was written and produced to shed light on this and similar situations going on in the news these days.