In Memory of Joseph Hamley

Not to take away from what happened to George Floyd, because we can all agree that was awful, but this is turning into another racial issue missing the wider problem. Don't get me wrong, there are members of our police who are racists but our problem with the police is not strictly a racial issue and by focusing on this aspect we are allowing our police forces to take a knee, hire more POC and promote a POC to chief thinking it will solve the problem because, "hey, look, they ain't racists so now everything is going to be rosy."

So why this memorial post?

In the past week I've been told by countless people that the reason for the protests, and by extension the riots, is because it is always a POC and this one had video proof. When I point out that isn't exactly true and provide some links their overwhelming typical response is one of apathy- "I've never heard of any and if it happened why didn't people protest?" I ask, "why didn't you hear about it?"

Now, I will admit that MSM tends to focus on the stories where men like Floyd, Brown, and Rice are involved, but that's because that's what people gorge themselves on and that's what increases the ratings.

So, because I maintain this isn't strictly a race issue and because I don't let MSM dictate my response to police brutality I am remembering Joseph Hamley today.

Joseph Erin Hamley (February 3, 1985 – March 7, 2006)

On March 7, 2006 Joseph Hamley, a by-all-accounts sweet, mild-mannered, disabled young man was shot dead, while he was lying prone on the side of the road, by Arkansas State Trooper Larry Norman. Joseph had been stopped by Washington County Arkansas Police while he was walking along a county highway because they thought he was Alan Leadford*, a boot-camp escapee who had been spotted earlier in the area.

Not only did the police remain silent for 3 days and when they finally spoke spun the narrative and lied regarding the events surrounding his murder, but later when the community tried to rename a park for Joseph the police blocked it claiming it would taint the investigation into Trooper Norman. It took more than a month to bring an indictment?.

In the end Arkansas State Trooper Larry Norman pleaded guilty to Negligent Homicide, spent only 54 days in jail and was, at the age of 40, granted a full medical retirement from the Arkansas State Police because of PTSD from the shooting. Thats the justice Joseph received.


*An unarmed Leadford was later shot in the throat by Springdale, Arkansas Police when he was spotted at a Walmart

-There are dash cam videos of the incident online as well as a wikipedia article.

Joseph Hamley's final words were: "I'm sorry. Why did you shoot me?"

Thank you for reading and remembering Joseph Hamley just one of many murdered by police in the USA.