The events of the past week were disheartening to many, both in the civil rights movement and the law enforcement community. The racially motivated violence has produced victims on both sides and it is useful to understand their stories as the debate on this topic continues to flood media outlets. Alton Sterling and Philando Castile were ordinary Americans with jobs, families and girlfriends before their lives were taken by police officers. The five police officers whose lives were taken by active shooter in Dallas have stories of their own. In this week’s wrap, we will give you some news stories that shed light on the lives that were lost in this week’s violence.
Alton Sterling was a father of four and small-scale businessman, described by many as generous and hardworking. Although he didn’t make much selling his CDs, a good portion of the income he made went to feeding his children. NBA basketball player Glen Davis, a native of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where Sterling was killed, recalls meeting Sterling and even helping him out by giving him some CDs to sell. “Great guy, big personality,” were the words Davis used to describe the man.
Philando Castile, who was shot and killed at a traffic stop in Falcon Heights, Minnesota, worked at a nearby school cafeteria, where he was well-liked by everyone. The kids affectionately called him ‘Mr. Phil.’ Castile had been visiting family in his hometown of St. Louis over the weekend and was only home for a day before he was killed. He had picked up his girlfriend, Diamond Reynolds, and four-year-old daughter moments prior to being shot.
Brent Thompson, one of the Dallas police officers killed in the shooting, had just wed another police officer and had been in great spirits since his recent marriage. Prior to working as a police officer for DART (Dallas Area Rapid Transit), Thompson worked as an International Police Liaison Officer in southern Iraq where he took part in training the Iraqi Police. He was the first victim identified in the shooting, which was the worst attack on US law enforcement since September 11.
Regardless of who perpetrated the violence, knowing the stories of the victims can help us as a society to become more accountable for all lives. We encourage you to share any comments you have in the section below.
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Sam Bojarski is an account coordinator at WordWrite Communications. He can be reached at sam.bojarski@wordwritepr.com.
