“The term ‘domestic terrorism’ means activities that—
(A) involve acts dangerous to human life that are a violation of the criminal laws of the United States or of any State;
(B) appear to be intended —
(i) to intimidate or coerce a civilian population;
(ii) to influence the policy of a government by intimidation or coercion; or
(iii) to affect the conduct of a government by mass destruction, assassination, or kidnapping; and
(C) occur primarily within the territorial jurisdiction of the United States.”
Yes, ladies and gentlemen. By that definition the Dallas shooting that claimed the lives of five law enforcement officers and injured seven others on Thursday night was an act of domestic terrorism. Whether anyone in the Obama administration cares to admit it or not.
It was also a hate crime. Whether anyone in the Obama administration cares to admit it or not.
As defined by federal statute, “hate crime acts” include those in which someone “willfully causes bodily injury to any person or, through the use of fire, a firearm, a dangerous weapon, or an explosive or incendiary device, attempts to cause bodily injury to any person, because of the actual or perceived race, color, religion or national origin of any person…”
According to published reports, Micah Xavier Johnson, 25, was allegedly responsible for the Dallas carnage. He reportedly expressed the desire to “kill white people, especially police officers.” Johnson, who police killed during a standoff after the shooting, was apparently motivated by “recent fatal shootings of black men by police elsewhere in the United States.”
In other developments, authorities in Missouri are now investigating what might have prompted a motorist to shoot a police officer during a traffic stop on Friday.
The suspect, identified as Antonio Taylor, 31, had reportedly been stopped for speeding. Then, for unknown reasons, the “routine” traffic stop took a tragic turn. Harrowing images captured on the cruiser’s camera, show the officer speaking with Taylor and returning to the police car. Taylor can then be seen approaching the patrol car, where the officer appeared to be doing paperwork. Without any visible provocation, Taylor fired three times, critically injuring the officer.
Police arrested him a short time after he fled the scene in his car and tried to avoid capture on foot. Taylor, a convicted felon, is now facing several charges including assault on a police officer in what police have described as an “ambush.”
Meanwhile, Tennessee authorities are also trying to determine what prompted a recent shooting spree that killed one civilian, and injured two others. A police officer was also hurt.
According to media accounts, the suspect hit a civilian when he allegedly fired through a hotel window on Thursday, and then targeting vehicles on a nearby highway. Lakeem Keon Scott, 37, who is also accused of firing at responding police officers, was also injured when they shot back.
According to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, a preliminary investigation indicated that Scott “may have targeted individuals and officers after being troubled by recent incidents involving African-Americans and law enforcement officers in other parts of the country.”
When all is said and done, I am sure the authorities will identify the motives for these attacks — but they’ll never be able to provide a satisfactory explanation. It’s impossible — because there’s simply no cause for such hateful behavior. None whatsoever.
In Brief Legal Writing Services 