Listen Live
Walker Funeral Home Black Business Spotlight
100.3 Featured Video
CLOSE

 

For iPhone:

 

The deaths of New York’s Eric Garner and Ferguson teen Michael “Mike Mike” Brown at the hands of White police officers have ignited discussions nationwide about race and justice.

In 1971, the death of Arkansas man Carnell Russ foreshadowed those incidents with a strong overtone of injustice. Russ, 24, was driving to his hometown of Monticello when he was stopped for speeding. In the car was his wife, Clementine, six of their nine children, and a cousin.

Russ was compliant and followed orders to visit a nearby Star City station to post bond of $23. While there, he encountered Charles Ratliff, the town’s only police officer whose last career had been as cafe owner, and trainee Norman Draper, who was to start the next day.

Russ asked to be let go on his own recognizance since his father knew the Lincoln County sheriff.

Ratliff couldn’t get anyone on the phone, so Russ had to pay. Russ wanted a copy of the ticket before paying the fine, which was his legal right. Ratliff resisted and said that he would arrest Russ for not paying. From there, details conflict but Ratliff claims Russ touched him.

Ratliff responded by hitting Russ in the head with his gun, which he claims discharged. Russ did not immediately die but his family was unaware of what was happening inside the jail. It wasn’t until an ambulance pulled up that they realized something was wrong.

Little Known Black History Fact: Carnell Russ  was originally published on blackamericaweb.com

1 2Next page »