On March 11, 2010, Malcolm Shaw was shot down in his house by Patrick Cici when the Bartlett police broke down the doors at 1346 Standridge. Shaw’s neighbors reported seeing the hooded or masked white police approaching Shaw’s residence and breaking into the house and hearing a shot minutes after.
They observed several “officers” escorting Cici to a van comforting him and celebrating the assassination of an African man. The response of the community was instantaneous. The Bartlett police were surrounded by angry neighbors and had to call 911 to the Memphis police and also called for an ambulance for a deceased Malcollm Shaw.
There was a controversy around this unannounced raid reported by the local media. The Bartlett police were to let the Memphis police know that they were planning to invade the North Memphis community. This is called protocol. Even Larry Godwin, the Memphis police commissioner, stated that Bartlett police did not follow “protocol."
This “protocol” is merely an excuse for any police vigilante group to invade our community with impunity under the guise of serving a warrant. The Memphis authorities allow this practice to be a "training day" for other occupying forces known as police.
The result of this exercise is the death of Malcolm Shaw, an African man beloved in his community. All of Malcolm's family, friends and neighbors state that Malcolm would not pull a weapon on the police as alleged by Cici and the Bartlett police.
The police murder occurred on a Thursday morning. By Monday afternoon the Memphis police declared the death justified, notifying Malcolm’s relatives via the media. The Memphis police were only concerned about whether an undercover agent might have been compromised by the Bartlett action. There was no evidence of drugs in Malcolm’s residence.
At Malcolm’s funeral, there was standing room only on the inside of the 200 seat church on March 18. Many speakers, including several preachers, talked about Malcolm’s good character in serving his neighborhood and community. There was a tremendous outpouring of outrage at the death of their neighbor.
Timothy Miers, Malcolm's brother stated the action by the Bartlett police would not be forgotten. There have been several meetings in the community around this incident. The Memphis black politicians have been silent on this travesty of justice. The Memphis city mayor, A.C. Wharton, has been vociferous about some dead dogs at the animal shelter. Three black officials have been arrested and jailed in this incident.
Not only are the black officials silent on the death of an African man but also nearly all of the civil rights organizations and some of the militant-sounding preachers are counseling peace to the community.
Neocolonialism (white power in black face) reigns supreme in Memphis, Tennessee, which has a 62 percent African population according to the U.S. census. Bartlett is a 95 percent white populated suburb and evokes terror to Memphis residents who pass through and are arrested for traffic incidents.
These events have been repeated numerous times and will continue until we organize ourselves and join the International People’s Democratic Uhuru Movement (inPDUM). Contact: Fodalli Mboge at 901-949-9044 to join inPDUM.
