6 Instances Proving An Armed White Criminal Is ‘Less Dangerous’ Than An Unarmed Black Teen

blake-authementjpg-79af2188738f9995

Derrick Daniel Thomas

On April 21 in New Orleans, Derrick Daniel Thomas, 32, is accused of breaking into a home and committing armed robbery, stealing cash and personal items, and then firing a single shot through the living room wall, according to nola.com. As he fled the scene, he threatened several construction workers, eventually firing five gunshots at a contractor and his son, barely missing them, according to reports.

New Orleans police said the rampage ended when they cornered him and asked him to drop his weapon. He refused. Police said Thomas called for them to lower their weapons and attempted to flee, but he was captured.

Thomas was charged with five counts of aggravated assault, three counts of aggravated assault on an officer and one count of criminal damage to property. Yet there were no attempted murder charges, even though Thomas reportedly shot at a man and his son.

Democracy needs journalism it can trust.

This election season, the stakes are higher than usual — and so is the pressure on newsrooms to soften their coverage, stay quiet, or just disappear. Independent reporting, the kind that answers to readers instead of advertisers or political pressure, matters more in a moment like this, not less.

For over 14 years, Atlanta Black Star has stayed independent and reader-funded. We have no corporate owner and no shareholders telling us what to cover or how to cover it. That independence is also our biggest vulnerability: nothing protects it except readers choosing to fund it directly.

Newspaper ad revenue has fallen more than 80% since 2005, and local newsrooms are closing at a rate of roughly two a week nationwide. When outlets go under in a moment like this, it's rarely the independent, reader-funded ones that get to stick around.

We know a request for support isn't why you came here. But without readers choosing to fund this work directly, the depth of reporting we can do at home and abroad shrinks along with everyone else's. If you're not in a position to give, that doesn't change how much we value you as a reader.

If you are able to, a recurring contribution does more for us than a single one-time gift, because it lets us plan the next investigation instead of just the next invoice. It takes about 30 seconds, no long form, no account. Thank you for continuing to support independent journalism and freedom of the press.

Back to top