Amherst County Deserves Explanation in Taylor Death
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The News & Advance
Published: April 19, 2008
To function properly with a democracy, a law enforcement agency needs to have the trust, confidence and support of the community it serves.
The Amherst County Sheriff’s Department needs to remember that in the days ahead.
It’s been almost three years since Sanchez Jarkel Taylor ran out of gas on U.S. 29, just south of Faulconerville in Amherst County. Three years since he trekked up the hill to Bethel’s Welding the afternoon of June 16, 2005, to see if he could borrow the phone to call for help. Three years since Sanchez Jarkel Taylor died of injuries incurred at the hands of five sheriff’s deputies.
Five deputies responded to a call of a “suspicious” young black man “lurking” around the business just after 5 p.m. When the first two arrived, they ordered Taylor down on his knees, and he immediately complied. He was then maced and hit with a baton; when he managed to get up and began struggling, they threw him down to the ground again atop a metal rack. Three more deputies arrived and, after another struggle, basically sat on Taylor, with his face to the ground, and hogtied him.
That was the point — 5:40 p.m. — when one of the deputies noticed he wasn’t breathing. One hour and 22 minutes later, at 7:24 p.m., he was dead.
After Taylor’s autopsy results came in, Dr. David N. Cresson, a Lynchburg pathologist, declared his death a homicide, the killing of one human being by the act or omission of another.
Amherst Sheriff Jimmy Ayers called in the Virginia State Police to conduct an investigation; Commonwealth’s Attorney Stephanie Maddox asked Halifax County prosecutor Kim White to handle the legal duties.
And there the matter has sat.
For three long years.
State police officials here and in Richmond say their investigation ended long ago, and the report was turned over to White.
But White, a seasoned prosecutor and former colleague of Maddox’s in the office of former Commonwealth’s Attorney Bill Petty, has said nothing publicly about the matter.
Neither she nor the Amherst sheriff’s department has had any comment, claiming an “ongoing” investigation precludes them from doing so.
Even though state police say they finished long ago.
Nothing about the circumstances surrounding Taylor’s death. Nothing about whether any of the five deputies will face criminal charges. Nothing to anyone at all. For almost three years.
Lynchburg attorney Aurelia Langhorne has filed a $15 million suit on behalf of Melva Taylor Davis, Taylor’s mother, arguing that his federal civil rights were violated and that local law enforcement officials tried to cover up the circumstances surrounding the death.
Federal Judge Norman Moon, in a January 2008 hearing, quizzed an attorney for the deputies as to why Taylor was maced, hit with a baton, thrown face down to the ground and hogtied when police reports said he immediately dropped to his knees in compliance with deputies’ initial orders. “If the person is such that he’s easily controlled by five deputies, you don’t get to throw him to the ground,” Moon said Jan. 4 in a pre-trial hearing. (A week-long trial is scheduled to begin Sept. 15 in federal court.)
When Clarence Beard died in the custody of Lynchburg police in September 2006, the events that followed his death were quite different. An internal investigation was quickly undertaken. The state police were immediately called in. Commonwealth’s Attorney Mike Doucette was out front in a hurry with a detailed report, taking questions from the public and actually answering them.
The public is due an explanation in this matter, if for no other reason than that for almost three years, no one has said a word.
A mother has lost her son. Residents of Amherst County have a sheriff’s department under a cloud with allegations of civil-rights violations and a cover-up swirling around it.
For the good of everyone, it’s time for this matter to end.
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Reader Reactions
Posted by ( poet ) on April 22, 2008 at 10:53 am
I’m sorry MVP. I respect you and this is not intended to show any disrespect to you, but you are wrong on this one.
Even if the NA got the time line wrong, how is the newspaper to blame for a years delay in bringing this issue to court, and this is after the state police investigation already concluded it was a homicide? Who is in charge? The N/A or the DA’s office? Who has not acted? The N/A or the DA’s office?
Would it take a state police investigation and then another year by the DA’s office if 4 black guys had killed a deputy? Absoluetly not, and you know it.
This is a classic case of the DA’s office and the sheriff’s office protecting their own. It’s nothing new for us in the black community. We see this all the time.
One other thing I’m tired of in general, and this is not direted at you MPV. I’m tired of this blaming the black community of playing the victim when they are trying to get justice from an system that victimizes them in such cases as these. What would any other community do when they don’t see any movement toward justice being done? You see them howling to high heaven about things they see as injustice toward them, but ohhhh noooo, don’t let the black community say anything. They must be kept silent, otherwise they’ll upset the comfort zone of those that don’t have to suffer the same injustice. The old ‘it doesn’t happen to me so it doesn’t happen’ syndrome.
The black community needs to get even more vocal on these issues.
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Posted by ( m.paul.valois ) on April 21, 2008 at 5:44 pm
I made a simple phone call and learned that this editorial has the facts terribly wrong with regard to the delay in the investigation. I also learned that the News & Advance didn’t bother calling Kim White before printing this editorial.
Ms. White has not had this case for “three long years” as the editorial claims she has. (It hasn’t even been three years since Jarkel Taylor’s tragic death, as a matter of fact).
In fact, Ms. White has only had the investigation for about a year, after taking it over from the State Police.
There is simply no excuse for such sloppiness from the editors. The readers deserve better than this.
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Posted by ( amy ) on April 21, 2008 at 4:50 pm
To “poet,” you are exactly right (this from a member of the white community). If this victim had been white:
1. This wouldn’t have happened
2. If it did happen, it would have been resolved
Same case w/the toddler that was hit and killed. The prosecutor sat on it for weeks! Then, a misdemeanor charge.
Jimmy Ayers needs to answer to the people! Where are these deputies? They have no doubt returned to full paid duty. Heck, they could even have left or been transfered to avoid the situation!
THE PEOPLE MUST STAND UP AND DEMAND ANSWERS!
Even as a white person, this makes me nervous about being in Amherst County!
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Posted by ( poet ) on April 21, 2008 at 2:11 pm
Troyywr: First of all you overstate what minorities do when something happens to them. This demonstrates a lack of knowledge of what happens in the minority community, so please address what you know and try to avoid labeling the things you don’t know.
2) If the police and procecutors worked for the black community on the same level as the white community, why do we have this kind of situation? No one, not one single individual, can say convincingly that there would be this kind of delay if that person killed was white.
3) You remember an old saying-"the squeaky wheel gets the grease?” Most minorites knows well what that means. When you are ignored, when you are silenced, when you are waved off and thwarted at every turn to try to get justice, are you saying minorites should remain silent, without voices? From your previous posts I presume your answer would be no. So if you have no voice, if you have no power, if it’s obvious you are not going to heard, the only choice you have is to make a lot of noise. And to make it in the places that will make those not hearing you pay attention. Say what you will about Sharpton or Jasckson, or Obama for that matter, they advocate for those that the system wants to silence. I say not only should she call those you decry as unworthy, but she should do so from the roof of the courthouse if neccesary.
This none action is an absolute travesty and disgrace. Action needs to be taken NOW, and once that’s done an investigation should begin as to why this has been ignored for so long. Heads should roll for this, of course the reality is nothing will happen, after all, it was only a black man that died.
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Posted by ( troyywr ) on April 21, 2008 at 12:10 pm
And why is it everytime a minority has an issue people say “Oh call Al Sharpton,Barack Obama,NAACP”?...supposedly the Prosecutors,police and judges are here for blacks too..this also shows me the backwoods mentality that people still have today in this area...what Can Barack Obama do about racism and murder in Amherst
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Posted by ( troyywr ) on April 21, 2008 at 12:07 pm
Last time I checked if you know that a Crime has been committed and dont do anything about it you are guilty of a Crime also. She is a prosecutor now not a defense attorny..if I’m correct she get paid more.She may have had a sterling reputation and been the worlds greatest bestest momma..but my first impression is this HORRIBLE CASE. Amherst County should be SUED the death was ruled not a drug overdose..not a accidental death..not a oh he had asthma so when 5 officers stood on his back he suffocated death...but a HOMICIDE...at who’s hands the Police. Now I’m not a judge but the information that is provided points to a cover up on someones behalf and seeing that the Prosecutor has done nothing substantial she is involved in some form. I cant imagine the HELL this guys momma and loved ones are going through...his car broke down and he complied with police and was killed.
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Posted by ( Cosmo Wafflefoot ) on April 21, 2008 at 9:58 am
Hang on ( m.paul.), she was a criminal defense attorney and she went over to the “Dark Side”! SAY NO MORE! Listen up. If a black man and 4 of his black friends broke down on Rt. 29 and a Amherst County Sheriff deputy ended up dead..... Would we still be waiting, THREE YEARS LATER, for justice? Get real!
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Posted by ( m.paul.valois ) on April 21, 2008 at 7:26 am
You people misunderstand me.
I am not saying that there haven’t been mistakes made in the investigation. I’m not saying that three years isn’t much too long to expect some sort of a reply. And I think Kim White needs to respond to justified criticism of the delay.
I’m only saying that Ms. White is a good, honorable lady (and a mother of young children) and a seasoned lawyer who has impeccable ethics.
This newspaper is correct to prod her to action and to demand results. However it is dead wrong when it implies some sort of collusion or coverup on her part when it only gives you part of the story (a typical tactic from this paper, it seems).
The lady doesn’t work this way. I’ve spent a great part of the last two years of my life fighting her in the courtroom. We’re on opposite sides. If there were any merit to the reckless claim that she is deliberately stonewalling an investigation to achive some sort of a coverup, I’d be the first one to criticize her.
But there just isn’t any such coverup. Ms. White is not only a prosecutor, but also a former assistant public defender and a former criminal defense attorney. (The News & Advance “forgot” to tell you this part of her biography). She is methodical and privy to information that no one else has regarding the investigation and will do her job professionally and diligently.
I will not stand idly while she is defamed with implication and innuendo.
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Posted by ( troyywr ) on April 20, 2008 at 11:16 pm
If it was their Son’s or Daughters then action would be taken swiftly.
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Posted by ( Cosmo Wafflefoot ) on April 20, 2008 at 7:29 pm
I am usually in agreement with you “m.paul”, but not this time. If my child or your child were dead at the hands of the police and three years later all we heard was… “Well, I’m really, really busy.” Neither one of us would be saying… “Oh, now I understand.” Good people with the best intentions sometimes get involved in very bad things. The insensitivity displayed in this prosecution is beyond forgivable.
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