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6BODYOFCHRISTNEWSJULY2014OurnationandstatehasseenanincreaseintheactsofGodfloodsfiresandtornados.Wearebewilderedbytheseandrecognizethatsomethingintheatmosphereischanging.Inourcitywehaveseeminglyseenanincreaseintheobservableuseofexcessiveforce.Weareequallybewilderedandwon-deriftherehasbeenachangeintheatmosphereofourjailsorisitamatterthatithasalwaysbeenthere.Inbothcasestechnologyhasgivenusmoreinsightintothesurroundingatmosphereandrevealedmoreclearlywhatisgoingon.IstechnologyplayingapartintherevelationofissuesofexcessiveforceHasthe500camerasinstalledinthedown-townSimonetDenverDetentionCenterrevealedincidentsthathavebeenongoing.Willthe180cam-erasplannedtobeinstalledintheDenverCountyjailaswithfloodsfiresandtornadosrevealthatincidentsofexcessiveforceareontheincreaseWhatevermaybeoccurringvideofootagecaptur-ingtheabuseofinmateshasbecomedjvu.Thevictimsfaceisnewbuttheopponentsprofileauni-formedlawenforcementofficerisfartoofamiliar.TheencoreperformanceisslowlybecomingiconicandanormativepracticeintheDenverSheriffsdepart-mentandthepractitionersinthesecasesappeartohavenoconsciousregardingpersonalhumanrights.TheGreaterMetroDenverMinisterialAllianceGMDMAisconcernedabouttherepetitiveincidentsofexcessiveforcethatcontinuetoplaqueourjails.InourconversationswithSheriffGaryWilsonwerecognizethathehasagoalandisworkingtowardschangingthecultureamongthoseunderhischargeinthejails.Althoughweapplaudhiseffortsourcityandcommunitycontinuetoexperienceissuesthatcauseusgreatconcernfortherightsofinmatesthedisciplineofdeputiesandthepenal-tiesimplementedonthosewhochosetomaketheirownlawsandmeteouttheirownjudgments.TheGMDMAwantstoensurethatthechangeincul-turereachesbeyondincomingrecruitsextendingtolegacyofficersinordertopreventpastbehaviorfrombecomingacontinuingmodelofsystemicandculturallegacyofabuse.MostrecentlyitwasrevealedthatJamalHunterwasthevictimofexcessiveforcechoreographedassaultintentionalneglectandattemptedcover-upbydeputies.InanarticlebyAlanGathrightTheDenverChannel.comTeamentitledRAWVIDEODenverdeputychokesinmateJamalHunterincellVideopartofinvestigationlawsuitDeputyEdwardKellersuspended30dayshewritesThelawsuitbroughtonbyHunterallegeswidespreadbru-talityandcorruptionintheDenverjailandwitnessintimida-tionbypolice.ThedocumentsdescribeachaoticDenverjailpodwhereadeputyisaccusedofgettingdrunkandusingporndirectingbeatingsofinmatesandsellingpotandporntoinmates.HunteralsoaccusesDeputyGaynelRumerofencour-agingabrutal2011attackwhereinmatesinaneight-mancellbeatHunterunconsciousandburnedhisthighsandgenitalswithcupsofscaldingwater.ThelawsuitallegesRumerignoredHuntersscreamsandeventurnedoffthelightsinthecelltogivetheattackerscover.AlongwiththeburnsHuntersufferedfracturestohisface.SoonafterHunterreturnedtojailfromthehospi-taldocumentsallegeDeputyKellergotfedupwithHuntercomplainingabouthispainandinadequatemedicalcare.TherecordssayHuntercalledKelleraracistandthenasurveillancevideoshowedKellerchokingHuntersneckasheshovedtheinjuredinmatedownontoacellbunk.AnotherdeputyshockedthefalleninmatewithaTaserstungun.HunterwroteinacomplaintthatKellerlostcontrolofhimselfandattacksicmechokingpunchingandbodyslammingmewithoutcause.Admittedlythisincidentoccurredin2011isnowcomingtolightandprecedesthecurrenttenureofourExecutiveDirectorofSafetyStephanieOMalleybutnotthatofSheriffGaryWilson.Theyhaveinher-itedmanyoftheincidentsofexcessiveforcethatarenowcomingtolight.Howeveritdemonstratesthatthereisacultureinourjailswheresomedeputiesfeelthattheycanexerciseaplantationstrawbossmentalityabusingwhomevertheywantandhowev-ertheywantthatneedstobeeradicated.InspiteofSheriffWilsonsgoalofreformaswithanyattemptsatchangethereisoftenaremnantthatisresistanttochange.Weoftenrefertothemasthegoodoleboys.CanitbethataremnantofbadseedisinfectingthebodyatlargeIfsonoleveloftrainingnopredeterminedpunitivedisciplineordamagescanchangetheheartsofthoseintentondoingevil.WhiletheGMDMAissupportiveofthepresentlawenforcementleader-shipwearecompelledtoholdthemaccountableinensuringtherightsofourcitizenry.TheGMDMAcon-tinuestoinvestigatewithcitylawenforcementincidentsofexcessiveforce.Weareinvolvedinternallytounderstandandinfluencethedis-ciplinaryprocessdeputytrainingandstandardswherebytheuseofforcemaybenecessaryaswellashavingapositionontheCitizensOversightBoard.Weareworkingexternallytoilluminateincidentsofexcessiveforcetoourcommunityandexpresstheoutragethatwefeelwhenourcitizenshusbandsmotherssonsanddaughtersaresubjectedtocruelandofteninhumanepracticeswhilebeingdetainedorincarceratedinourjails.Howeverweoftentimesinspiteofhavingregularcontactwithlawenforcementfindourselvesblind-sidedattheappearanceofincidentsinournewspa-pers.InspiteofthattheGMDMAstandsvigilanttoholdourcitylawenforcementofficialsaccountableanddemandasspiritualleadersthatwebethevoiceofjusticeforourcommunities.Incarcerationshouldnotsetasideaninmatessrightstohealthcaresafetyandhumandignity.Thosewhoarejailedandseparatedfromsocietyshouldnotbeseparatedfromtheirrightsforhumandignity.TheGMDMAinpursuitofitsmissionisanadvocateforsocialjusticeforthoseincustodyofoursystemorthosefightingfreelytoimproveoursystem.WeapplaudFederalJudgeJohnKaneforcall-ingontheJusticeDepartmenttoinvestigateDenverpolice.Thejudgewantstoknowifofficersintimi-datedwitnessestoabrutaljailhouseattack.TheGMDMAhopesthatthisinvestigationwillfurtherilluminatejailhouseabusesandfurthersetusontheroadtoreform.InthemeantimetheGMDMAisinpursuitofthefollowingnVerbalacknowledgementfromDirectorofSafetyOMalleyofsystemicandlegacyissueswithintheSheriffsdepartmentnPublicdisclosureoftheworkingagendatocor-rectexistingexcessiveuseofforceissuesnPublicdisclosureoftheknownnumberofexces-siveforcecasesthatareunderinvestigationnotnameorspecificdetailsbutquantitativenumberByRev.Dr.WilliamT.GolsonJr.DMinCURRENTAFFAIRSFloodsFiresTornadosExcessiveForceWilliamT.GolsonJr.MDivisPresidentoftheGreaterMetroDenverMinisterialAlliance.Rev.WilliamT.GolsonJr.Videofootagecapturingtheabuseofinmateshasbecomedjvu.Thevictimsfaceisnewbuttheopponentsprofileauniformedlawenforcementofficerisfartoofamiliar.TheencoreperformanceisslowlybecomingiconicandanormativepracticeintheDenverSheriffsdepartmentandthepractitionersinthesecasesappeartohavenoconsciousregardingpersonalhumanrights.