Light ‘Em Up

Welcome to this probing, brand-new, fact filled episode of Light ‘Em Up.We are currently being actively downloaded in 119 countries, globally.  Please spread the word with a friend regarding our podcast! Remember, we are here for you and because of you!We tackle the topics that touch your lives!We hear so much talk about the topic of Qualified Immunity — but few really know what it is and what it consists of in much detail.  THIS episode will put to bed ALL of those questions.Bringing a §1983 Civil Rights lawsuit against any government entity is not an easy task to accomplish.Qualified immunity is a judicially crafted legal doctrine and concept created by the U.S. Supreme Court in the case of Pierson v Ray in 1967.The doctrine was created to protect government officials, particularly law enforcement officers, from frivolous lawsuits and financial liability when they acted in good faith in legally unclear situations.We discuss the requirement (as the law states) that there must be a constitutional violation that infringed upon the rights of a person that was “clearly established” at the time it was committed.Many legal scholars argue that qualified immunity has no legal basis and is not grounded in the text or history of the relevant statutes at 42 U.S. Section 1983.  Many argue that the doctrine signals a retreat from the protections afforded to Black victims of racial terror by the Civil Rights Act of 1871 (also known as the Ku Klux Klan Act).Several of our guests on Light ‘Em Up have run face first into the stone-cold, hard truths and effects of qualified immunity.—      As a case study we’ll examine the fact pattern in a case called Betts v Brennan whereby an officer was sued for using his taser on a non-compliant motorist.—      We examine and amplify on the historic background of the concept of qualified immunity.—      Drilling down on the original intent, pro’s/con’s and purposes of the law.—      Search out how this doctrine, for lack of a better description, has become “twisted and perverted”, providing what for all intents and purposes is a never-ending “get out of jail free card” to members of law enforcement (and other governmental agents) — even when they violate the law.We share inconvenient truths how qualified immunity (as it has been regularly implemented):—      erodes justice and public trust—     blocks accountability—     sets an unreasonably high legal barrier—     serves to further injure those who have already been injured — as victims must identify a near-identical precedent, meaning they have to cite a similar case that a prior victim experienced to challenge misconduct, as we mentioned, an often “insurmountable legal hurdle”.As education is always a foundational pillar of Light ‘Em Up, we introduce you to the concept of Respondeat superior:  A legal doctrine and Latin term that literally means, “let the master respond”.It holds employers liable for the actions of their employees — which is also known as vicarious liability.And we empower you with six of the Supreme Court’s landmark decisions that have further defined and carved out this judicial doctrine since its inception by the Warren Court.This episode is jam-packed with rock-solid research and information regarding the legal concept of qualified immunity. After today, after tuning in, you will speak with authority about the topic — forever setting you head and shoulders above and apart from everyone else — who speak without knowing.Tune in and be educated and empowered you with the facts, not fiction!Follow our sponsors:  Newsly & Feedspot.We want to hear from you!

Welcome to this super-charged, explosive  episode of Light ‘Em Up.We're currently being downloaded in 119 countries.  We tackle the topics that touch your lives!On this episode we examine how our First Amendment (freedom of speech) and due process rights can be stripped from us and violated in a rapid series of cascading events that ultimately put our freedom and liberties in grave jeopardy.We travel to Michigan to speak with our special guest, Alison Reedy, the mother of young Dillon Reedy.The following events unfolded at Huron High School in New Boston, Michigan on December 8th, 2021.This is a case that every parent of any school child anywhere across the nation should be extremely concerned about.Imagine sending your 14-year-old son to school in the morning and by the afternoon he’s been arrested, never Mirandized (according to his mother) taken in hand cuffs to the juvenile detention facility where he was processed into the system and issued a state (juvenile) criminal ID number — and forced to submit to a mugshot — ALL for something he did not do.The fact pattern showed that in a brief conversation with another student in class, Dillon was accused by the classroom teacher of making a terroristic threat to “shoot up” the school.The teacher incorrectly overheard what she thought was a threat. She later allegedly admitted that she never herself felt threatened, according to Alison.From there, common sense went AWOL.Dillon was “in big trouble”— the school secretary said to his mom — when she called to inform Alison to come to the school immediately.  Wrongfully accused, wrongfully charged.   Let down by a host of adults who should have been able to understand the difference between a credible threat and one that was not credible.This is a textbook case of a “rush to judgment” by over half a dozen school, municipal and county professionals and politicians, as well as the Huron School Board, any of which should have known better than to proceed with this case.Initial news reports regarding this incident were defaming, libelous and salacious and most importantly WRONG! Alison maintains that the county prosecutor was “rogue” … as the county was in possession of evidence that exonerated her son — yet, they chose willingly to suppress and overlook those crucial facts.“Negligence on all sides, a biased expulsion hearing and two off-record plea deals,” Alison stated.No one desires to see any violence on any school campus.  However, this zero-tolerance policy for even uttering the words “shoot” or “gun” is an unconstitutional kneejerk reaction by the legislature and has led school administrators to make rash and very costly decisions concerning student discipline.The truth matters.  Facts matter.  Dillon Reedy’s rights matter!If this happened to our guest and her son, certainly it can happen to you and your family.  After hearing the fact pattern in this case you’ll ask yourself:—      Is this America?—      Is the First Amendment still intact and applicable?—      How can abuses such as this take place, everyday across our nation?Tune in to hear all of the explosive details. Follow our sponsors:  Newsly & Feedspot.You can follow Alison on Facebook.  Her group is called:  My Son on the Alter.We want to hear from you!

Happy New Year, we welcome you back to Light ‘Em Up!This is our 2nd installation of our brand-new 6th season!  A double dip this month.Who’s listening to us in Mozambique?  We’re actively being downloaded in 117 countries, globally!On this no holds barred, explosive, investigative, educational episode — we once again, shine the antiseptic light of the truth as we deliver this in-depth investigation that is focused on de-escalation of aggression as it relates to law enforcement activities.We ask rhetorically, “Who will police the police”?  Oversight of law enforcement is necessary in the 21st century.In Latin this phrase translates to “Quis custodiet Ipsos custodes”. Literally, it means “Who shall guard the guards?We hear the term “de-escalation of aggression” so often now-a-days.What does it really mean?In theory, de-escalation training has been widely implemented by U.S. law enforcement agencies in the wake of adverse public reaction to a rash of recent controversial police use of force (UoF) incidents.George Floyd, Michael Brown, Breonna Taylor, Philando Castille, Eric Garner, just to name a few.How is it effectively put into practice on a daily basis, or is it really being employed or implemented regularly, at all?The essence of de-escalation involves:—      Engaging the person with empathy and reserving judgement—      Maintaining a calming presence and—      Setting limits, but picking your battlesOur learning concepts for this episode include:Educating you about the essentials of the de-escalation process that can aide you at:—      work—      home (in your interpersonal relationships) and—      in the mean streets—      We take a close up look at:  Graham v. Connor | 490 U.S. 386 (1989) as it applies overall to the de-escalation process.And:Examine the origins of “officer induced jeopardy” and the ground-breaking ICAT training (Integrating Communication Assessment & Tactics) for the purposes of de-escalating a situation.And:The “comply or die” mentality that often plagues these high stress encounters with the public – especially and disproportionately encounters with individuals of color.“Officer induced jeopardy” is often the culprit in many violent encounters with the public. An officer can’t pick a fight — end it with bullets and then claim self-defense — but they do this with regularity.This is the essence of officer induced jeopardy.We’ll examine the Miami Beach, Florida Police Department’s body worn camera (bwc) video footage of the recent arrest of U.S. Olympic sprinter and bronze medalist in the Summer Paris Games, Fred Kerley, and the high profile, rough arrest of Miami Dolphins star wide receiver, Tyreek Hill.And examine the Akron, Ohio Police Department’s shooting of Jazmir Tucker, a 15-year-old high school freshman — with a high-powered assault rifle.You’ll hear the exclusive audio of these high-profile arrests as we share the fact pattern in these cases as our case studies.Tune in to hear all of the explosive details.Follow our sponsors:  Newsly, Feedspot. We want to hear from you!

Happy New Year to each and every one of you!Welcome to Season 6 episode 1 of Light ‘Em Up!We launch 2025 with exciting news! We’re actively being downloaded in 117 countries, globally!Without fear or favor — we follow the facts wherever they lead us.We present the facts not the fiction that drive and support our theories forward!We’ll shine the antiseptic light of the truth as we deliver this in-depth investigation that started some 14 months ago as we began to march heavily into the election season of 2024.We’ll take an up-close and personal historic look at the United States’ oldest domestic terrorist organization — the Ku Klux Klan —  and how some of what you are hearing these days from many MAGA Republicans — even from the recent victor in the presidential election, Donald J. Trump — harkens back to the goals and aspirations of the very same night riders — who burned crosses and terrorized Black people and pretty much anyone or anything that moved after the Civil War that wasn’t like them.  White, nativist and Protestant.Terror, vigilantism and murder were the Klan’s calling card.We’ll look at the historic foundation of the Klan.Like it or not, agree or not, the similarities between the 1920s Ku Klux Klan and Donald Trump’s Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement are stark and marked. Both movements have preached the centrality of being anti-immigrant. Both have been rooted in white supremacy. Both had and have a dark side of associated hate crimes. Both have wrapped themselves in the flag and pretended to be the most patriotic and pro-American.Originally the Ku Klux Klan was established innocuously enough as a social organization by six ex-Confederate officers in the small Southern town of Pulaski, Tennessee.In the spring or early summer of 1866, six men gathered one evening in the Pulaski law office of Judge Thomas M. Jones, the father of one of the founders, to create their new “fraternity”.In 1867 former Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest became the first “Grand Wizard" (national leader) of the order.The transformed Klan was to be organized along military lines in a rigid hierarchy with leaders elected at each level.A Grand Cyclops was to be the leader of a local den, or chapter.—    Above him was a Grand Giant in charge of all dens in a county, who in turn was answerable to a Grand Titan.—    A Grand Titan reigned over a Congressional District, and in charge of the whole state was a Grand Dragon.—    They created an organization patterned after a previously prominent college fraternity, Kuklos Adelphon.They adopted the basic ritual of this fraternity with some changes. They took the first part of the name, Kuklos, Greek for circle or band, altered it slightly to Kuklux and added Klan for alliterative appeal.Thus, the Ku Klux Klan was born.With our investigation, we submit that to understand MAGA, the Klan must be considered as a formative background influence.MAGA didn’t spring full-blown from the mind of “stable genius” Donald Trump.Many Americans love and strive to hide the deep-seated racism which is part of our history, and that is the case with the Klan. In the early 20th century, the Klan was far more influential than is now recognized.Tune in to hear all of the explosive details.Follow our sponsors:  Newsly, Feedspot and Dayquil Vapo-CoolWe want to hear from you!

As we close out another fantastic year filled with one accomplishment after another for “Light ‘Em Up” — which included new sponsorships — and new underwriters — we wanted to focus on what is most important to us other than searching out the truth.We wanted to take some special time to recognize you, our listeners for your TSL (time spent listening) to us throughout this past year.We thank you for another fantastic year of growth and achievements and express our appreciation for your wonderful engagement and your role in helping us grow to 115 countries globally as we close out Season 5.We never thought this kind of success would be something that we could attain, and we never were concerned about our growth at the inception of this project.Initially we set out to tell the truth about topics of importance in the U.S. criminal justice system — and look what it has become!We have been able to advocate for so many people.The corporate plan is to take the remainder of the year off in order to rest for a week or so, recover and enjoy some quality time with our families.We then will begin the process for Season 6 of Light 'Em Up where we strive to achieve new goals and break even more records with the reach of our podcast.Also, to add more sponsors and underwriters.The truth is under attack — and is worth defending!We have labored tirelessly to dig deep, vast and wide to bring you a special insight that you really won’t find anywhere else regarding the U.S. criminal justice system.We're loyal, consistent and dedicated to you, our listeners.  We are truly here for you and because of you!Our commitment to you here on Light 'Em Up is that we’ve endeavored to tackle real topics that touch your daily lives.We’ve worked tirelessly to try to be the "Voice of the people"Please consider joining our Criminal Justice Foundation Justice Rolls Down and its page found on Facebook as well as our worldwide presence on YouTube at:  Rizzo's Protective Group.Here is our complete catalogue.  Here is our last full episode of the year regarding the conducted energy weapon known better as the Taser. Are they "less-lethal"?  Do they Save Lives & Reduce Civilian Shootings or Facilitate Cardiac Arrests and are used in a Reckless, Punitive Manner?This advocacy piece irritated a lot of people in law enforcement but was wildly popular and downloaded at a record (for us) and at a tremendous rate/amount.Thank you to Feedspot — online at Feedspot.com as we are featured in their top 50 poll of the 50 Best Criminal Justice Podcasts.  Visit their blog at www.Feedspot.com or simply follow this link: 50 Best Criminal Justice Podcasts You Must Follow in 2024 (feedspot.com)And for all your news and current affairs check out our friends at Newsly by visiting https://newsly.me.  Use the promo code L1GHTEMUP to launch your 10% savings.We thank you and we look forward to you joining us in 2025!Merry Christmas, Feliz Navidad! Buon Natale & Happy Hanukkah and a Happy and Prosperous New Year to each and every one of our listeners.You'll hear from us early on in January 2025.Executive ProducerPhil RizzoWe want to hear from you!

 Welcome to this electric, super-charged, high voltage brand-new episode of Light ‘Em Up!As season 5 will soon be a rap and in the books, please tell a friend that lives overseas about us!  We are now actively being downloaded in 115 countries.We expose and tell the truth in a world filled with confusion and bold-faced lies.We delve into the facts not the fiction about:  TASERS —Conducted Energy Devices (CED’s) also referred to as Conducted Energy Weapons (CEW’s):  A weapon that is deemed to be “less than lethal” and has been touted as saving lives and reducing civilian shootings, but in reality, carries the heavy baggage of a complicated past that I’ve personally observed being deployed in a punitive, wanton and capricious manner.We’ll investigate:—      how law enforcement is said to deploy this weapon and how they often truly deploy it in reality.We’ll examine:—      several case studies—      the CEW policy of The Akron Police Department (as one of its officers recently fired a TASER at an alleged person of interest riding a bicycle)—      the NYPD and its use of the TASER throughout the capital of the world, New York City—      and peel back all of the critical layers of the onion as to whether these devices can increase the incidence of death from its use.Have you ever been tased?From reputable law enforcement officers, I’ve been told that you lose control of your bowels and bladder for about a week following being tased. The TASER is an acronym for, believe it or not, (Thomas A. Swift’s Electronic Rifle), named after a favorite book of the inventor John Cover who developed the device in the mid 70’s.  Cover was a NASA physicist. The hand-held device can be used to incapacitate a person by transmitting a 50K volt electric shock delivered through two, small, barbed darts intended to penetrate clothing, puncture the skin and remain attached to the target.The darts are connected to the main unit by a thin insulated copper wire and deliver a modulated or controlled electric current designed to disrupt voluntary control of muscles, causing temporary neuromuscular incapacitation (NMI).If the heart is a muscle and it is governed by the electrical system of the human body, why couldn’t this device affect the heart muscle?  In peer reviewed research in the scholarly journal “Circulation” from The American Heart Association – an article focused on:  TASER: Electronic Control Devices Can Cause Cardiac Arrest in Humans.In more than 1 instance, it has. The TASER is a branded name which can also be used as a stun gun by pressing it directly against the target’s body, thereby administering an electric shock. Similar to a “cattle prod on steroids”. Many in the law enforcement community stand firmly behind the Taser and disagree vehemently that officers are cavalierly using Tasers on people who are passively resisting. However, the fact pattern shows instance after instance where officers have deployed this weapon -- even when they face little danger -- as a means to subdue unarmed people or in a punitive nature for those already in police custody. You be the judge. Watch this video. Officer Used Stun Gun on a Migrant Holding a Toddler, video shows. Tune in to hear ALL of the shocking and electrifying details and mucho, mucho más.Follow our sponsors Newsly & Feedspot here:We want to hear from you!

Welcome to this brand-new episode of Light ‘Em Up!Tell a friend that lives overseas about us!  We are now actively being downloaded in 114 countries.On this investigative, educational and impactful edition of Light ‘Em Up — we expose and tell the truth in a world filled with confusion and misinformation.We delve into the facts not the fiction about: Protecting your Constitutional & Civil Rights and educating you on topics that we’re betting you rarely hear or know much about but should know everything about.We drill deep on:—      Pretextual traffic stops (something we’ve given great attention to here on Light ‘Em Up)—      Section 1983 lawsuits—      and as a case study we examine Whren v U.S. (517 US 806 (1996), a landmark Supreme Court decision that relates directly to how law enforcement interacts with the public today.With a fine-tooth comb, we examine the details as to what exactly is going on in Cleveland, Ohio as the Division of Police, which is currently under DOJ (consent decree) oversight, continues to allegedly cheat, stretch, break and violate the law by intentionally stopping and searching black drivers at much higher rates than white Clevelanders.We explore “When cops become robbers”:  When law enforcement officers use their badge and authority to “game” the citizenry as they violate the spirit and letter of the law.We tell the story of the Tenaha, TX Police Department, whose officers were (allegedly) intentionally using their authority to “shake-down” the good people passing through their city limits.  The lead officer directly involved literally expressed the intention of using “the money that they get from thugs “from a newly created drug interdiction program to pay the town’s bills.  A class action lawsuit asserted that their pretextual traffic enforcement scheme was bogus and was designed solely to enhance the city financially and the defendants personally.Especially for you, we have exclusive audio of the Rehnquist High Court as the attorney on behalf of the petitioner (Whren), Lisa Burget Wright, argues their position before the high court on April 17th, 1996.Whren vs U.S. says that “a stop or search that is objectively reasonable is not diminished by the fact that the officer’s real reason for making the stop or search has nothing to do with the validating reason”.  (Meaning that it is acceptable for an officer to make up a reason to stop you.)We explore and define a §1983 lawsuit, which provides an individual the right to sue state government employees and others acting under the color of state law for civil rights violations.For your education and empowerment, we explore §242 of Title 18, which makes it a crime for a person acting under color of any law to willfully deprive a person of a right or privilege protected by the Constitution or laws of the U.S., and we provide crucial insights as to what your rights are when you are stopped by law enforcement.  And we delve into pretextual traffic stops: What are they, and how they are used against you.We also offer a “Know Before You Go” pre-travel safety check-list that will help limit your potential exposure and hopefully reduce the likelihood of being pulled over for any legitimate or pretextual moving traffic violations.Finally, we review an in-depth analysis of what more than 17,000 traffic stops in the City of Cleveland has exposed in and among the CDP (Cleveland Division of Police) as it initially appears that they disproportionately pull over Black drivers with much more frequency than white motorists.Follow our sponsors Newsly & Feedspot here:We want to hear from you!

Welcome back to this brand-new, explosive, visionary, investigative edition of Light 'Em Up.We're currently being actively downloaded in 114 countries, globally. Thank you for your unwavering, constant support.Without fear or favor, we shine the antiseptic light of the truth on any topic that we undertake and report on.On this episode we focus on and explore emerging ways of addressing critical issues in the criminal justice system and policing — drilling down on and beginning a focused conversation as to:Rethinking how law enforcement is deployed and all too often traffic stop by police.Public safety has long been treated as the near-exclusive province of law enforcement agencies.Police are tasked with countless challenging and many dangerous duties, including but not limited to:—      Responding to active crime scenes—      911 calls for service (that are made all the more unpredictable by the prevalence of guns on our streets and gun ownership in the U.S.)—      People who are in the grips of a mental health crisis—      Domestic violence situationsThe most common 911 calls include: business checks, disturbances, suspicious persons, and complaints.Simply put, the police are over-tasked and vastly undertrained to deal with a myriad of complex issues that 21st Century Policing encounters and demands — especially those that center around mental health.The risk of being killed while being approached or stopped by law enforcement in the community is 16 times higher for individuals with untreated serious mental illness than for other civilians.For the safety of the public and law enforcement officers equally, we have to begin to re-think, re-examine and re-engineer these concepts, whether it be the biased enforcement of traffic laws by police which drive racial disparities in the criminal justice system or topics like we’ve covered in the past such as “DWB” or Driving While Black in America.—      Police in the U.S. conduct more than 20 million traffic stops per year—      Some 42% of African Americans say that police have stopped them just because of their race—      59% of the U.S. public believes that this practice of racial profiling is widespread—      81% disapprove of it — or at least express the concept that they doCivilian first responders dedicated to traffic and road safety can better serve communities by resolving traffic and safety issues without the potential for punitive law enforcement action.Racial profiling is a significant policing and social problem.  We all witnessed how fast the police incident with Miami Dolphins star wide receiver Tyreek Hill escalated quickly from the body worn camera of the officer on scene.To mitigate the risk of harm to both the police and the public, many municipalities have tasked unarmed, non-law enforcement responders to address nonviolent social and medical issues such as mental health crises or have narrowed the scope of police discretion and duties in traffic enforcement.How many times have we seen in the past where a citizen is pulled over for a minor traffic infraction and it has escalated into a deadly encounter?—      An expired registration—      A crack in a windshield—      LitteringIt happens every day, don’t be fooled!Click here to see the list of the top jurisdictions that have first responder programs across the U.S.Tune in for ALL the explosive details and follow our sponsors Newsly & Feedspot.We want to hear from you!

Welcome back to this brand-new, investigative, in-depth, exposé exclusively featured on Light 'Em Up.We're actively being downloaded in 114 countries, globally. Thank you for your unwavering, support.Without fear or favor, we shine the antiseptic light of the truth on any topic that we undertake and report on.Tonight, we examine the officer involved shooting of Michael Jones — by our very own Akron Police Department in the early morning hours of August 17th outside of a Duke and Duchess gas station, in Akron, Ohio. The 15 second unnecessary struggle took Jones' life and re-opened deep wounds between the people and the police in Akron.Jones, a 54-year-old black man, was shot at point blank range and killed by an APD Officer during an altercation inside a U-Haul Rental Truck.In a Light 'Em Up Exclusive Visual Investigation we've analyzed the body worn camera (BWC) of the officer involved shooting — frame by frame, meticulously we've rolled back the footage of the fatal traffic stop to examine the causes and consequences of the "officer created jeopardy" in this specific case.With Miami Dolphins Wide Receiver Tyreek Hill in the news for being dragged out of his car in Miami Gardens, FL — this fact pattern put the issue of excessive force and officer created jeopardy at the forefront of countless discussions.Our learning objectives for this intense episode — which may very well save your life or that of a loved one — will be to drill down on:— The fact-pattern in the killing of Michael Jones— Reasonable, Articulable, Suspicion (RAS)— and introduce to you the concept of "Officer Induced Jeopardy".In the realm of criminal law and law enforcement, the term Reasonable, Articulable, Suspicion holds significant importance. It serves as a critical legal standard that determines whether law enforcement officers have sufficient grounds to justify various actions, such as: stopping individuals, conducting searches or making detentions. If you are under arrest, you must be told of the charge you are in custody for and immediately read your Miranda rights.Understanding RAS is crucial for both law enforcement officials and individuals to ensure a balanced approach to justice.To help you better to understand we'll delve into the:— Concept of RAS— Its legal significance— and its impact on various aspect of law enforcement practices.As case studies we'll discuss 2 cases regarding the concept of "Officer Induced or Officer Created Jeopardy"."Officer Induced Jeopardy" involves situations in which police officers unwisely put themselves in danger and then use deadly force to protect themselves. It can include the actions of officers who, without sound justification, willingly fail to take advantage of available tactical concepts like distance, cover and concealment, willingly abandon tactically advantageous positions by moving into disadvantaged positions without justification — or act precipitously on their own without waiting for available assistance from backup.Grave tactical errors such as:—  walking into the path of a moving car—  reaching into the window—  jumping onto a moving vehicle—  then using lethal force to defend against the danger — as appears to have been the case in the killing of Michael Jones.We'll interrogate the "final frame" approach found in Graham v Connor where the U.S. Supreme Court says, "courts should not second guess the "split second" judgements officers make in the heat of the moment".Vehicle stops happen more than 50K times a day on average across America — by far the most common interaction between the police and the public, which disproportionately impacts drivers of color.We want to hear from you!

Welcome to this incendiary, probing, brand-new installment of Light ‘Em Up.We’re currently being actively downloaded in 1⃣1⃣3⃣ countries globally! Thank you, for your constant support!In this intensive episode we’ll investigate and unpack the cold-blooded killing of Sonya Massey — a 36-year-old mother of two and resident of Springfield, Illinois. Ms. Massey was concerned for her safety and called law enforcement to her home for protection.Sonya Massey, was fatally shot in the head by the now terminated and criminally charged former Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Sean Grayson in her own kitchen over a pot of water that was heating on the stove.Today, with all the tangible evidence from a multitude of past deadly incidents with law enforcement — the argument could be made that it no longer seems safe for individuals of color and/or anyone who may be “spiraling downward” in the grips of a mental health crisis to call law enforcement for any assistance.When a person is stuck in the unrelenting grip of a mental health crisis and they are rapidly spiraling downward — they need help, compassion, empathy and understanding.  They don’t need to be shot in the face and killed.Law enforcement simply is not trained to properly handle such emergencies. A crystal-clear example of this was what happened to Daniel Prude in Rochester, NY.Far too often the fact pattern turns out to be identical to the last senseless killing.The officer dispatched to the call shows up on the scene:—      terrified (having little direct exposure to those who don’t look identical to him)—      short on time—      short on patience—      and far too often short on the requisite racial sensitivity for the communities they are charged with protecting and serving—      short on the requisite “humanity” one needs to see people who need help as people, not as constant and potential threatsMany aspects of this case are perverted. This case serves as a textbook example of “officer induced jeopardy”.As we press deeper, farther and wider we’ll uncover the ever-expanding and troublesome issue of “Wandering/Roaming Cops”.Wandering/Roaming Cops are law-enforcement officers fired by one department — sometimes for very serious misconduct, who then shortly thereafter find work in another agency.A perfect example of this would be Timothy Loehman, who shot and killed 12-year-old Tamir Rice in Cleveland, Ohio.The defendant, Former Deputy Sheriff Sean Grayson, had not one, but two previous DUI convictions and a history of personnel problems, but was still hired by the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office.Through an extensive number of exclusive Freedom of Information Act Requests (FOIA) we’ve obtained the:💥 direct audio of Sonya Massey’s mother, (Donna Massey) calling 9-1-1 emergency dispatch providing the dispatcher with advanced notice about her daughter’s mental state.💥 the last extensive communication from Sonya Massey as she called 9-1-1 emergency dispatch to notify them of a “prowler” at or nearby her home.💥 the troubling, gruesome, audio from the body worn camera video in the kitchen where Ms. Massey was fatefully gunned down.💥 Finally, Light ‘Em Up was extremely fortunate to receive a sound bite from the Governor of Illinois, the Honorable J.B. Pritzker — specifically on the Massey tragedy.Don’t move a muscle. Tune in to hear the shocking, sickening facts of this case.In a time of uncertainty, facts provide clarity.  Follow our sponsors Newsly & Feedspot here:We want to hear from you!