The story of Isaiah Payton is one of the most heartbreaking stories I have come across this year. Isaiah, who is 12 years old and his friend Damean Spear, who is 15, were attending a high school football game in Atlanta Georgia on August 17th of this year. As they were about to leave, gunfire erupted among the crowd. During the crime, Isaiah was struck in the back leaving him paralyzed from the chest down. He will remain in that condition for the rest of his life. Damean was also struck but had a less serious injury and was treated and released. After a two month manhunt, in which the reward went as high as $10,000, a juvenile who has not been identified was arrested and police are looking for another suspect who they say took part in the attack. The unnamed juvenile was charged with aggravated assault.
Now the first thing that came to my mind beside thinking somebody needs to whip his azz, is will he be tried as an adult? In Georgia juvenile’s can be charged as an adult automatically by factors other than age. For instance in some cases of violent crimes like murder, rape, aggravated sexual assault and manslaughter. If the juvenile commits a crime in which an adult could get the death penalty, then they must be tried as an adult if the juvenile is 13 years or older. In Georgia 17 years of age makes you eligible to be tried as an adult. Say on the day before someone’s 17th birthday they commited a crime, well in Georgia you a man, on the day before your 17th birthday as far as the law is concerned and you will be tried in an adult court. These are just some of the scenarios on how juveniles can be charged as adults in Georgia. Check this link out for additional information. So will the assailants be charged as adults? Possibly. The penalty for aggravated assault in Georgia ranges from 1 year to twenty years. Then there are enhancing penalties for aggravated assault, such as minimum penalties if the assailant uses a weapon, the crime is against a family member, the crime is against a police officer or the crime is committed on someone 65 years of age or older.
Allison Woods, the child’s mother said she has faith her child will walk again. “I believe in miracles and God… he is a powerful man. He (Isaiah) is in good spirits but still has some rough days.” Isaiah was supposed to be released from the hospital last Thursday, but was informed by doctors that additional surgery would need to be performed. The news disappointed Isaiah who hoped to get out in time to watch his middle school football team play that weekend. His mother said he was excited about the game, “Mama, they’re playing for me. They said this one’s for me.” Of course like any mother, Allison has her rough days also and is frustrated by what happened to her son, but said she is grateful Isaiah is still here. She tells her son that there is a reason you survived, “God has something that he really wants you to do. He didn’t keep you here for no reason.” Now I am going to tell you something. The perpetrators of this crime need to be locked the @!$$# up until that boy walks again. I really mean that.
Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, standing with Atlanta Police Chief Erika Shields said with tears in her eyes, “There are cowards on our streets. I’m standing here with a mother’s heart as mayor. The streets will talk. We need to bring closure to Ms. Woods and her family.” I feel you Mayor Bottoms, I felt like crying when I first heard about this crime and implore anyone who knows where the other assailant is, that you call the man and turn that #@@@!! in and get yo money. As far as I’m concerned, that would be one of the blackest things I’ve ever seen.
I don’t know if it’s by law or just prescribed in the best interest of the patient, but in this particular case the hospital would not release Isaiah unless his home was handicapped equipped or they could move to the first floor of the apartment building they stayed in. Now I don’t know what’s gotten into our wealthy black American brothers and sisters, but lately they have been contributing, giving back and such. This time Shaquille O’Neal stepped up and donated a home which will be made handicapped accessible. “I’m going to get her some Ring cameras on me. We’re going to give her some furniture, TVs and pay her rent off for a year and help her get on her feet.” He is not doing it by himself. Papa John’s CEO Rob Lynch and Jeff Smith, the chairman of the Papa John’s board, helped with the home purchase. Now we haven’t forgot about the racist founder John Schnatter and his penchant for using the “N” word, nor has it not gone without notice that O’Neal owns a 26% stake in Papa Johns, but the truth of the matter is they are not selling us those nasty pizza’s. They are helping out a black family that needs it and I for one am grateful.
I’m not going to call this black on black crime. It’s just another racist euphemism created by the media to make it seem like there is no such thing as white on white crime, latino on latino crime or asian on asian crime. Most crimes are committed by people of the same color, on people of the same color. I hope you also noticed that I didn’t say race, which is another racist catchall used to divide people. All of us belong to the human race, we are just different colors. “There is no other human race on this planet but homo sapiens.”A long time ago there was a race of humans called the Neanderthals. Modern humans live with them for a time and there were two race’s then, but they died out some 40,000 years ago. Racism is sometimes subtle, but it can be very powerful. I know I am guilty too. I have used the word race before when referring to African Americans. It takes a long time to break old habits. All this to say, that in “our communities” we have crime just like all other communities. But if we are to stop this type of crime from plaguing us, we are going to have to help ourselves. We cannot let the criminals which come in all colors, keep preying on our children. We owe them nothing.
References:
- Federal Criminal Law Center
- Atlanta Journal-Constitution
- WXIA Atlanta Georgia
- CNN
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