Galveston, Oh Galveston

Charles Wiley
Chief of Police
Galveston, TX

Dear Chief Wiley,

It was a great bust by all accounts, or at least the accounts of the officers involved. Called to a neighborhood to arrest three white prostitutes, Narcotics Division boss Sgt Gilbert Gomez and Officers David Roark and Sean Stewart found an even more enticing target, Dymond Larae Milburn, a 12-year-old black honors student.

Officers with lesser training might have missed the suspicious nature of her activities, but not your intrepid trio. They saw a pre-teen, standing in her front yard when white prostitutes were about. It could mean only one thing: she, too, must be a prostitute.

Upon seeing young Ms Milburn, their training kicked in. They jumped her, beat her, and arrested her for prostitution.
Of course, her family, not being as well trained as your officers, objected to her treatment. They pointed to her sprained wrist, two black eyes, bloody nose, and blood in an ear as evidence that your officers had gone too far. Even worse, they wondered aloud if standing in one's front yard was indeed a criminal offence.

That posed a problem for your department. Although the prostitution charge was a matter of who a jury would believe--three cops or a black kid--the physical injuries were harder to explain. Summary beatings of suspected prostitutes is illegal (even in Texas).

You responded the only way you could--by dispatching officers to the young honor student's middle school and arresting her again--this time for resisting arrest.

I'm sure you're very proud of these officers. Given your departments response to the family's complaints, you obvious believe the officers met your expectations in making this arrest in the way they did. But I have to wonder if your guidelines might need revision. I'm worried that your department might be getting a little soft. If this had happened in Florida, the officers would have tased her first to facilitate the beating.

Heterosexually yours,

Gen. JC Christian, patriot