Perception Versus Reality, Starring the Miami Police

 So...this happened:

And while there's some acknowledgment of the obvious seemingly contradictory message of police giving recognition to the demographic they are known to shoot/beat/kill with little regard, the artist behind this is pushing nuanced understanding:

Unlike the typical Miami police car, which is white and blue in color, this special edition is coated black with red, yellow and green stripes — colors commonly used to represent pan-African solidarity.

The vehicle is also embellished with four raised fists, an outline of the African continent and the words "Miami Police Supports Black History Month."

Lavish N Looney (Lump), the Miami-based artist who created the special design for the patrol car, said that unity and paying homage to Africa were major themes in the artwork. He said he went through several designs before a version was finalized, adding that earlier drafts included images of Martin Luther King Jr. and former President Barack Obama.

Lump said he stands by the police car despite some of the backlash it received.

"Two things can exist at one time," Lump told NPR. "There could be still more work done between the police department and civilians while police officers and civilians come together to celebrate Black history."

Lump said he grew up in a community where people were "not fans of the police," so he understands patrol cars can be intimidating. His hope is that this cruiser will be more approachable to community members.

Sounds promising. Of course, having MLK on a cop car may be kinda weird considering the police weren't fans of his whole Civil Rights thing, and when it comes to their part in Black History, I can't say that police were ever celebratory. And it's not like I can go back like a month in the past and find an example of the Miami Police doing something that may make this car thing look like they're trying to salvage their image, I mean-

A Miami Police sergeant who fired the fatal shot that killed a man during a confrontation following a traffic stop last year won't face charges, the Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office said.

The incident happened on March 8 and left 34-year-old Antwon Cooper dead.

The officer involved, Sgt. Constant Rosewood, was legally justified in the shooting, according to last month's close-out memo from the state attorney's office.

Cooper had been pulled over for speeding in a car with illegal tinted windows by another officer, Olivier Gonzalez, in the area of Northwest 74th Street and 10th Avenue, near Miami Northwestern Senior High School, according to the memo.

When Cooper indicated he didn't have a valid driver's license, Gonzalez told him to step out and he started to pat him down.

Cooper then tried to flee but the two got into a scuffle and fell to the ground, the memo said.

Rosemond arrived at the scene and found Cooper on top of Gonzalez, shouted several commands at Cooper that "went unheeded," then shot Cooper once, killing him, the memo said.

During the struggle, a firearm was "discarded or dislodged from Cooper and ended up on the roadway," the memo said. A review of police body camera footage showed the gun wasn't in the roadway before Cooper tried to flee from the pat down, the memo said.

The memo said Cooper was a convicted felon and wasn't allowed to possess a firearm.

"We find it reasonable for Rosemond to believe that deadly force was necessary to prevent imminent death or great bodily harm to Officer Gonzalez, himself and/or another," the memo said. "He arrived on scene to find Cooper on top of Officer Gonzalez, with Gonzalez doing all he could do to control Cooper's hands and keep Cooper from grabbing one of several weapons which were readily available and within reach of Cooper."

Cooper's family members were outraged after the shooting and said they were planning to sue.

"My son was killed. He was shot in the head. He didn’t deserve that," father Gerald Adams said.

Oops. I guess they should have had a "more approachable" cruiser. Or maybe Lump should have painted a mural of Antwon Cooper on the cruiser, so people can remember how police abuse their power.