LANCASTER – At Monday’s Human Relations Commission Meeting, President Darren Parker said that any public perception that the recent deputy-involved shooting in Palmdale was a hate crime is incorrect.
“Clearly after you look at the facts, race was not the motivating factor in why the sheriff’s department was out there,” Parker said.
Thursday morning, Darrell Logan, Jr. was shot and killed by Sheriff’s deputies. A statement from the Sheriff’s department Thursday said deputies responded to a call around 11:48 a.m. from an informant, who stated that gunfire was heard from the residence [Logan’s home]. When deputies responded to the scene, they verbally commanded the occupants to exit the garage, but the suspect refused to exit, the report states. When deputies entered the garage they were confronted by an armed suspect and a deputy-involved shooting occurred, according to the report. Logan’s wife, Krystle Washington, was at the house during the incident and gave her side of the story to The AV Times Friday. Read it here.
Saturday evening more than 100 of Logan’s family and friends held a Candlelight Vigil in his memory, where many expressed outrage at Logan’s death. Parker, who attended the vigil, said these sentiments were discouraging.
“Standing there listening to the testimony of most of the individuals at the vigil, the overwhelming sentiment in the African American community is that there is a fear of law enforcement,” Parker said Monday. “That was discouraging because for those of you who have been here for any amount of time in the Human Relations Commission and the Human Relations Task Force, one of the things that we touted for the last 10 years was the superb working relationship we had with law enforcement.”
Parker said the Human Relations Commission would work diligently with captains of the Lancaster and Palmdale Sheriff’s Stations to change the perception of law enforcement in the community.
“I believe our task is the remaking of the relationship with law enforcement,” Parker said. “We will work with all groups that are looking forward to moving in a positive direction with our partners in law enforcement and making sure that community policing is something again that we can tout here again in the Antelope Valley.”
The Human Relations Commission will hold a Town Hall Meeting at 6:30 p.m., Monday, November 21st at 1030 W. Ave. L-8, Lancaster. The meeting will feature Diana Teran of the County Office of Independent Review, and will give members of the community an opportunity to voice their concerns or comments regarding the deputy-involved shooting, which took place on Thursday, October 13.
Larry Evans says
No one is stopping the Afican Americnas from creating prosspeirty, we must overcome living the hardship,that come with living in this country as an African American. Why or when will honorable men sit down to create respectable law abiding citizens. Character is built through hard work and with a collective effort to create businesses such as lawn services, painting, car washes and a host of other businesses in the community. If the leaders in the black community would come together and convence the churches to create sport among each other the community will build family unity. My heart goes out to the family.
Mercurio Moore says
I don’t believe that the shooting was a hate crime but actually an abuse of power. Alot of officers abuse their power when on duty. It’s a job and shouldn’t be taken any futher than that(dictatorship). Of course protect yourself but do it with a sense that someone is watching you. GOD……..
nonya says
Okay! enough is just not enough. This is the mother of Darrell Logan jr. and I must say that Mr. Parker can not even think that he is correct the sheriffs executed my son and i’m in great pain AND SORROW HE WAS AT THE CANDLELIGHT saying that it was wrong etc. was it just to show that he was feeding off my pain? because his story has switched to the favor of the police department. My son was shot multiple times and according to the witness who was within feet of my son said he never had a gun so explain that? And if it was one the police never saw it until they searched the literary went to my sons home and killed him and its not it was a scared neighbor it was a police imforment who is moving from that address across the street as we speak. How about different tactics dogs, bean bags, talking, swat, anything but multiple shots my son was a human being not an animal I gave birth to a healthy baby boy 32 years ago at 7lbs and 11oz so don’t exploit my son as if he didn’t deserve a different method please think about your unconditional love for your own children if you have any because you can never feel my pain ever so respect my son as if you would want your son or daughter respected. Thank You Darrell’s Mother.
Larry Evans says
As an African American many are uninformed in the community. Positive information and the ability to act in a positive way seems not to be a focal point with politicians for this community. As a resident of the A.V. we are not short on churches, but we are short on class rooms. After school tutoring,job training, continue to lude our community. Where is the the leaders on common sence in creativity of jobs, sports, and Education.
William says
Haven’t you been paying attention? The economy crashed a couple of years ago and Palmdale had to lay off staff and cut some services.
Plus, the influx of low income, mostly minority families up here to take advantage of a bigger, nicer house for their Section 8 vouchers doesn’t add a whole lot of money to the local economy other than at Walmart. And the extra burden of low income residents who aren’t working and who move here isn’t going to provide the extra money for the city services you expect. What’s your solution?
Marianne McCourt says
I guess they think that there’s a ‘magic money tree’ down at Palmdale City Hall being tended to by little white elves whose magic enables them to keep the money tree growing and shedding more dollars. WAKE UP PEOPLE! He (William) is right! Stop expecting handouts and services from the community when you don’t pay any taxes!
Marianne McCourt says
“uninformed”? It seems like you are the one who is “uninformed”. There is not a shortage of classrooms anywhere in the Antelope Valley. They have been closing schools down due to population loss in Lancaster and other parts of the A.V.
You-Mr. Evans–want all of these extra programs but may I ask who is going to pay for them? The cities who are already struggling with their budgets? the overburdened county? the broke state government in Sacramento?
Or how about you and other members of the black community putting your big boy pants on and providing these things to your community without tugging on the government’s apron all of the time?
If Koreans, Persians, Armenians, Jews, Chinese and others can do it, why cant your community?
Jo says
Since Lancaster’s redevelopment debt is $218 MILLION as of June 2010, we know where the money is going. Developer buddies of the local city leaders.
Marianne McCourt says
The premise of my post was why does the city have to be asked to pay for extra programs in the first place? Why not, as a community, doesn’t the black community take the initiative to start their own programs and help their youths instead of expecting the city to do it? As I said, this works in the other ethnic communities, so what is the excuse? When I worked in the Alameda County library system, you saw throngs of Asian kids and their parents in libraries after school studying quietly and doing research to better themselves in school. The Chinese and Koreans would even use their churches for study halls and programs within their communities and people would volunteer to be there and supervise. To my knowledge there was no government money involved either, it was purely collective initiative to better their own community. The black community can do the same thing if they wanted. They have plenty of churches and plenty of parents who can supervise and do these same type of programs too. But they choose not to because there is no money involved and no financial gain to be had. Instead of looking for dollar signs, why dont they look at their people, see how broken they are and do something without looking for financial incentives. Money is nice when its there but it cant be counted on all of the time, some volunteer work, love and a want to benefit the entire community have to be motives too!
William says
That is a great message and should be distributed more widely. I don’t know all that goes on in the black community but my black neighbors seem to be doing fine and living well without any assistance from the city or state, so it can be done if you work at it.
There’s money in the black community for other things. It just needs to be redirected and focused toward education and job training.
Larry Evans says
Extra programs are not needed we should make the one’s work that is already in place. The average inmate receive about $17.00 a month and welfare gives $200.00 with a few food stamps neither of them will train indiviuals to succeed when they return to the community. With funds put in the hands of organizations that will bring about proper traing for people returning to the community could be a better use of tax payers money. Any program that is paid for with tax payers funds with no training attatched is senseless. With help from others leader in our cmmunity to share the cost, I can ensure you that New Beginning Out Reach has solution that can improve citizenship in the Antelope Valley.
Ivy says
DARREN PARKER IS A SELL OUT!!!
Stinger says
Kinda saw this coming. An entire Commission makes a determination based upon the facts at hand and one guy (Mr. Parker) gets called names based upon the misdirected emotions of those who do not want to accept the facts.
Abdul Majeed Askia/Public Speaker says
The lost of life is a tragedy for everyone. Life is sacred.It is so sad
that such a young person lost his life. My heart goes out to the family.
Regardless of the circumstances as to the details a life was lost and a
child left fartheless. The least we can all do is strive to create an
inviornment where incidents like what occured is lest likely to happen.
William says
And who is going to ‘create’ that environment. Is the black community doing it’s job of raising children to be educated, not joining gangs, to obey the law and all that stuff. It appears that they either aren’t doing that or are failing at it and, yet, they get upset if the ‘establishment’ or the police have to do the job the black community isn’t doing.
They don’t like crime in their neighborhoods but object when law enforcement fights it.
It’s up to the black community to support the police and not the criminals. Sure, there is police misconduct. In New York, the cops are beating up and arresting WHITE FOLKS in the Occupy New York protest rallies. but, do you want the police to just ignore a call from a ‘nosy’ neighbor who heard a gunshot just because he may be a minority and they either put themselves at risk by showing up or shoot him for not complying?
Abdul Majeed Askia says
There has to be a collective effort to reach-out to the broader community accross racial,ethnic and religious lines to educate against senseless violence. If the religious houses would focus on the matter at hand and
teach in a way that empowers people to take charge of their-lives as opposed to what happened way back when and
deal with current issues and conditions we can make a difference.When we get past relgion being used as hustle
and get rich scheme and properly raise the consciousness
of the people we can effect positive change.There is a lot
of greatness and potential in our youth.However, we have
put greed and material conquest before love,mercy,sacrifice and making our communities peaceful
and safer for-us all,everybody! We need to hold open forums on conflict resolution and most importantly perosnal self development.
William says
Sometimes, I’m just tired of the same old stuff that has been going on for decades. On the one hand, some members of the black community talk like they ‘know everything’ and nobody does. So, why aren’t they taking care of raising their children to finish school, stay out of gangs, dress in a way that they can be respected, etc.?
These same members of the black community, some who have written here, don’t want to listen to anyone else. Well, what is there to do with people like that. You can’t win with them. They know everything and won’t listen. They KNOW that the cops went to the house to kill him. How do they know that? Are they mind readers or did a deputy say that over the radio?
Marianne McCourt says
William,
I have learned that you just can’t win with some people.
If you withdraw the police presence from the black community and poor areas and crime goes up, you get accused of “racism” and “neglect”. Then, if you respond by increasing the police presence and cracking down on crime, you get accused of “racism” again and “profiling” to boot!
It seems like–no matter what–there are going to be loud voices in the black community who want to complain and blame others but do not want to hold themselves accountable. that is the sad, ugly truth here!