Five Examples of Unrest, Uncertainty and Confusion
2020 has proven to be an unprecedented year in so many ways. While the country continues to battle the pandemic; racial inequality, the fight for equal justice and police brutality continue to contribute to social unrest in and round the City of Richmond. At a time of uncertainty, many are looking for leadership, some are looking for peace, while others are still pushing their own agendas and tension still remains high.
- Off Duty and Hostile
- Who is Michaela Hatton?
- Last Man Standing
- Distortion of The Black Lives Matter Movement
- How Mayor Levar Stoney rocked the vote
Did a City of Richmond Police Officer allow hostility from his day job to spill over into his night job? Officer Lance Falkena was recently found guilty of assault and battery stemming from an altercation that took place in December 2019. The incident occurred at a bar in the City of Richmond’s Shockoe Slip area, while Falkena was working security. Falkena was off duty from his position with the Richmond Police, but he was still in uniform. While wearing his uniform he was caught on camera in a confrontation with a patron of the bar. The incident ended with the patron fracturing his ankle after falling down the stairs. The patron paints a picture of being assaulted, while Falkena alleges the patron was being belligerent. Although Chief Gerald Smith does not believe the incident is a reflection upon the Richmond Police Department; it will be hard to prove otherwise with Falkena being in uniform at the time of the assault. At a time when the department is under scrutiny for actions taken during the summer protests and riots, this conviction does not help to rebuild the communities trust in the police.
Michaela Hatton, a 22 year old resident of the City of Richmond, was found guilty of felony assault upon a law enforcement office and conspiracy to incident a riot. On June 4, 2020, Hatton was arrested after she struck a police officer in the head with a bull horn. The incident took place at protest this past summer. Hatton was given the opportunity to complete a post conviction community service program in exchange for reduction in her charges. Again we ask who is Michaela Hatton and the answer is a very lucky individual whose being granted an opportunity to purge her criminal record and pursue adulthood felony free. Not many are blessed with that opportunity.
A source of comfort for many was the anticipation of the Robert E. Lee statue being removed from Monument Avenue in the City of Richmond. Governor Ralph Northern ordered to have the statue removed in June 2020 and the Order was met with a lawsuit and a temporary injunction to hault the dismantling of the statue. The matter was recently heard in the Richmond City Circuit Court and the presiding judge has remove the temporary injunction that was blocking its removal. In a tweet https://twitter.com/MarkHerringVA on October 27, 2020, Attorney General Mark Herring announced that the statue was raised in support of white supremacy, which goes against public policy. Unfortunately, the battle is not over. If you have not had a chance to snap a photograph of the defaced statue, you still have time as this matter will be appealed and held up in court much longer.
Election night 2020 drew a small group of protesters to the streets of Richmond, Virginia. The exact purpose of the gathering is unclear. Video footage submitted to 12 on your side shows a gentleman with a megaphone leading the protests. Initial chants were “Black Lives Matter” https://www.nbc12.com/2020/11/03/protesters-march-downtown-richmond-election-day/. A few minutes into the video it becomes clear that “Black Lives Matter” was just the draw because the chants changed course and the message became we don’t give a F____! The video is a great indication of how so many are using their Amazon purchased megaphones to sucker individuals that truly want to be a part of something into participating in protests under false premise. Black Lives Matter isn’t something to be shouted just to gain followers. It is a true movement established to bring light to the injustice served upon many African Americans in the United States. However, from this video, we see just how it has been altered and used as nothing more than a way of obtaining followers.
Mayor Levar Stoney has been elected for a second four-year term to serve as Mayor of the City of Richmond. There was some pretty stiff competition from Kim Gray as Election Day neared. Stoney faced some heavy criticism and lost a huge amount of support from his handling of the Navy Hill Project. In addition, it was believed he had lost control over the city after residents spoke out at a rally behind issues involving the Richmond Police during the time of unrest this summer. So just how did Stoney overcome these issues? His biggest asset was his push to remove Confederate statues around Richmond City. That was seen by many proof of his commitment to the city as a whole.