LEBANON, TN—When a black man is caught alone on a darkened and foggy highway by the white police, his life is most definitely in danger.
At 3:00 am in the early morning hours of April 28th in Lebanon, Tennessee, as 22-year-old Gregory Thompson drove home from his nightshift job; this very situation cost him his life. White police murdered another brother.
In trying to unravel the stream of police lies, it seems that the police nearly ran into young Thompson, causing both McKinley and Thompson to slam on their brakes. They were just east of Lebanon’s Public Square. At this point, the police claim that Thompson backed his car up and sped off, with McKinley giving chase.
About two or three miles down the road, Thompson’s vehicle was forced down an embankment with McKinley jumping out of his car with gun in hand.
At this point, McDannald who had joined in chasing the unarmed and fearful Thompson, claims he saw fire coming from McKinley’s gun and thought it was Thompson shooting, so he fired his weapon, killing him.
So the question is, how did he see fire coming from McKinley, who was apparently also shooting at the unarmed Thompson, and thought it was Thompson who was shooting.
Here is what Clay Carey of the Tennessean of April 28 said, giving police spokesman Billy Weeks’ account of the events.
“Weeks said Mckinley went down into the embankment to try to get Thompson out of the car. McDannald stayed upon the road to cover him.
“As he walked toward the car with his gun drawn, Weeks said, McKinley slipped on some loose rocks. As he tried to steady himself, he accidentally fired his gun..
“From the road, McDannald saw the officers gun go off. Thinking that Thompson was shooting, Weeks said, McDannald opened fire and killed him.
“It’s a terrible thing’” Weeks said. “’Its traumatic for the officers.”’
Then of course, they always pull out the standard line that the black person they murdered was a criminal any way. In this instance, they accused Greg of having some traffic tickets.
One newspaper headline declared “Man dies after crash in police chase”, making it seem as though Gregory Thompson had died in an auto accident.
Gregory Thompson Sr. said “I’m angry about it. I don’t know what the police are trying to say happened. But I know my kid, I know his ways.”
Although unarmed, Gregory was, nonetheless, shot down and murdered by hostile police (David McKinley and Mitch McDannald) in this rural Tennessee town not far from Pulaski, Tennessee, the birth place of the Ku Klux Klan.
The Klan, born in 1865, was forced by a powerful Black Power Movement in the 1960s to turn their white sheets and hoods in for police badges and uniforms. They act as a colonial occupying army in the African Community in Lebanon, Tennessee.
Fifty years ago, they did not need excuses to kill us. They just did it. It only meant “another nigger dead.” But today, they use excuses like “the officers gun accidentally went off.” And “the officers thought the shiny object was a gun, but it was a cell phone.”
In the case of the beloved son of Kay and Greg Thompson Sr., it is not the first time the family will be burying a loved one due to police murder.
In 2000, Lebanon Police agents raided the home of 62-year-old John Adams, then shot and killed him, only to find out they had raided the wrong house. But, to the police in the United States, including Tennessee, any house where black people live is alright to raid.
There is no such thing as a wrong house.
A colonialist jury found all police involved in the John Adams murder not guilty of anything, but the city of Lebanon was forced, due to public outcry, to pay the family a $400,000 civil settlement.
Gregory Jr., a star football player who had to forego college to work and take care of his two year old son Dereon, was beloved by his family and community.
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Kay Thompson, Gregory's mother
Greg's aunt, Angela Humes said, “This is not the first time they accidentally shot somebody. I mean it's got to stop.”
Sister Angela is correct. It’s got to stop. We must get organized. Come to the 5th Congress of the African People’s Socialist Party where we will be mapping out a plan for justice for African people in America from July 10 through 14 2010. Come and be a part of the solution. For more information contact Fodalli Mboge at (901) 949-9044.
STOP COLONIAL POLICE VIOLENCE AGAINST AFRICANS!
PAY REPARATIONS TO THE THOMPSON FAMILY!
FORWARD TO WASHINGTON, DC!
