Are you wondering why there is no reporting on white Americans killed by police officers?  Is it odd to you that in an election year where the Democrats have low enthusiasm, each officer involved shooting of a black person receives heavy news reporting?  This is no coincidence.  The Use of Force Continuum governs how officers are to engage and treat suspects during a police stop or response to a 911 call.  In each case where deadly force was used an investigation is done and the officer is removed from duty with pay to ensure that no rules were broken.  If there really was an epidemic of rogue officers, we would see the media cover any death at the hands of officers.

We found six deaths from altercations with law enforcement on September 20, 2016.  National media covered Keith Lamont Scott’s death, causing protests and riots in Charlotte, NC under the false narrative that African Americans are being targeted by law enforcement. There were five other deaths that day that weren’t covered by major media outlets on cable news.  Let’s take a look at them.

1. Thomas Tucker, 49
WESTMINSTER, Colo. – Police shot a robbery suspect in Westminster Tuesday afternoon after he allegedly pulled a gun on them. Four other suspects remain at-large.

2. Sandy Joe Duke, 43
TALBOT’S CORNER, Tenn. – A suspected fugitive was shot and killed by Metro Police after pulling a pistol on an officer in Nashville Tuesday afternoon, authorities said.

3. Keith Lamont Scott, 43
CHARLOTTE, NC (WBTV) – A Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officer fatally shot a man in University City Tuesday. It happened around 4 p.m. at The Village at College Downs apartment complex on the 9600 block of Old Concord Road.

4. Michael Goodale, 23
LEDYARD, Conn. –  A person with an outstanding arrest warrant is dead following an officer-involved shooting at Foxwoods Casino Tuesday, State Police Trooper Kelly Grant confirmed.

5. Charles Dove, 35
DECATUR COUNTY, Tenn. – Decatur County sheriff’s deputies fatally shot a man suspected of two armed robberies after he tried to evade police on Highway 641 early Tuesday morning, according to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.

6. Joshua Scott, 22
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — A man is dead after a standoff in Port St. Lucie, according to the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office.  Deputies came to serve a court ordered Baker act for 22-year-old Joshua Scott after 8 p-m Monday night.

Clearly there is an issue with which stories are chosen for extensive coverage by major media outlets.  This stems from the widely debunked “Hands Up – Don’t Shoot” lie told by eyewitnesses who later recanted their stories in the Mike Brown shooting two years ago.  Even though the Department of Justice found Officer Wilson not guilty of shooting Brown in the back, this narrative persists.  Responsible journalists should report on shootings  using criteria applied equally to each story instead of simply checking to see if the victim is black or not.

Some officer involved shootings are worthy of national attention.  It’s irresponsible to put race at the forefront of reporting: the consequences are deadly and expensive to communities where these shootings happen.