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This is ridiculous...

Town angered over DNA testing of black men

http://www.cnn.com/2004/US/South/04...g.ap/index.html

Wednesday, April 14, 2004 Posted: 10:40 AM EDT (1440 GMT)

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Virginia (AP) -- The police department's decision to test the DNA of hundreds of black men in their search for a serial rapist has angered community leaders who view it as racial profiling.

At a forum at the University of Virginia, city leaders, academics and residents criticized the practice during a presentation by city Police Chief Timothy J. Longo and other law enforcement personnel.

"Because the suspect is black, every black man is a suspect," said University of Virginia graduate student Steven Turner, who has twice refused to be tested. "What are we going to do about this as a community?"

Longo said police question and test men for three reasons: Tips from the public, a potential suspect has a record of sex crimes or burglaries, or a 911 call alerts authorities about a man who resembles the drawing of the rapist.

As of Monday, Longo said, 690 men have been eliminated from the list of possible suspects and 10 have refused to submit to a swab test, in which DNA is collected from a potential suspect's cheek.

One woman in the audience asked if the police would conduct widespread testing of white men if the rapist were white.

"Absolutely," Longo said, adding that he'd do the same if a criminal suspect were Asian or a woman. "I will do them all."

The serial rapist has been linked by forensic evidence to six attacks since February 1997, although Longo estimated that the same man could be responsible for up to 12 more sexual assaults. Two known victims were University of Virginia students and one was a former student.

City officials insisted the investigation was not racial profiling. "We're looking for one person," said Dave Chapman, Charlottesville commonwealth's attorney. "We're not engaged in profiling."

that is a god damn shame, that in this flippin day an age, that thy can tell me that there is no other way for them to get this person than to test every Black man, that is a waste of time and money. There has got to be some other form of process for them to eliminate people, i mean....what if the rapist is dark skinned....are u going to test all African american males, including those that are light skinned...basically what i am saying is that their has to be some other way for them to eliminate some people as suspects.

This racial bull shit that they are doing is crap. They know damn well that they would not do it to no damn white person. There would be an uproar from the white mass. But as usual, us blacks don't get together to protest, where is the damn unity, steups.

All I could do is laugh. This is fackin ridiculous. I have never heard of a police investigation with over 600 suspects. I wonder how much were originally on the suspect list after 690 were eliminated.

...even though it might sound somewhat ridiculous, if you are one of the men being tested then you should have nothing to fear if you are innocent, your refusal to be tested only makes one think that you have something to hide...

My refusal would make one think I actually have a backbone and some kind of pride to not be profiled as a sick perverted psycho rapist. I have some pride thank you, so hell yea I'd refuse to take the test. Being black doesn't make me a criminal in this or any other case.

How about next week when a black man robs a liquor store? And how about the week after that when a black man shoots another in the street at 2am? Is every Black man in Charlottesvile a suspect then too? Why don't we just have them build up a database of DNA for every crime that black men will invariably commit.

It's one of the most insensitive and obtuse excuses for "police-work" I've ever heard of. They've got ppl with no criminal records, students, etc. They've got descriptions of the rapist from at least two victims, but they're too lazy and/or too ignorant to do any more work than "aww just bring in all the n!ggers." With that kind of incompetence, it's little wonder they haven't caught the rapist in over 7 years.

This is highgrade Moose shit. Of all the rapes that occur here in NYC, you've never heard of them pooling a certain ethnic group for testing. This goes to show that the Charlottesville. PD has poor forensic practices. They could easily find the suspect by questioning ppl, reviewing surveilance tapes, sketches, crime scene analysis, and some hardcore critical thinking.

Moose shit.

I would have to agree with you here....We as black folks have to take a stand. If the suspect was white...It would have been an uproar even before testing began.

Based on what I read apart from this article the PD claims to be administering test to black males only when someone seems to resemble the sketch or when they recieve anonymous tips. Guess all de black men they tested musbe match de description nah The comissioner has stated that if it were a white male being sought he would apply the same measures. To that all I can say is un fackin believable.

Charlottesville police are ending the policy...according to the Express edition of today's Washington Post.

A-MEN. Because dem C'ville and UVA police is too LAZY. They woulda caught the man long time if they were doing they're job.