On March 21, 2009 four Oakland Police Officers were killed in the line of duty.  The shootings of the officers  made national headlines.  The public outpouring of sympathy for the officers and their families has been enormous, culminating in a memorial that filled the Oracle Arena.   It seemed unanimous that what happened to the dead officers was absolutely wrong.  The assailant, Lovelle Mixon, 26, shot and killed the two officers that pulled him over for what is assumed as a routine traffic stop.  He then shot two more officers while the police attempted to apprehend him.

Somewhat lost in the news coverage is the long history of violence between the Oakland Police officers and the community.  What some may perceive as four heroic officers shot while serving their community, some members of the Oakland community have expressed it as another example of state sponsored violence against the Black community.   When the national media attention was highlighting the heroics of the fallen officers, members of the community marched through the streets of Oakland visiting the sites of the shooting showcasing their anger over how Mixon’s is part of a lineage of state oppression.  Although the opinions of this group are in the minority, it is important to understand the psychology that gives rise to these opinions.

On a syndicated radio program Street Soldiers on KMEL, Dr. Joseph Marshall, confronted these sentiments with callers on his show.  The anger and resentment between the community and the Oakland PD is so deep that when four officer’s lives are lost, some consider it some type of victory against the state.  This level of animosity does not bode well for efforts to bridge the gap between the community and police.

There should never be any mixed emotions between life and death.  Life should be cherished and death should be mourned.  How far are we from our goals of bringing the community together to heal its wounds and stand up against violence?  Obviously, there is still residual anger from the shooting of Oscar Grant, who was killed by BART officers on New Years Day.

Although tragic, the events of the past few weeks have given me a glimpse of hope and optimism.  The community has come together to bind up its wounds and reaafirm its beliefs that they are all working towards a peaceful and more equitable world.