Stabbing death of U.S. soldier might be hate crime, police say

RACE NO LONGER A FACTOR:

(Reuters) - Race was no longer considered a motivating factor in the weekend stabbing death of a white U.S. Army serviceman in Washington state, police said on Monday as they announced the arrest of three fellow soldiers connected with the incident.

The car stopped, and a verbal confrontation ensued between Geike's group and a group of black men from the car. Geike was stabbed after tensions had initially appeared to defuse once the driver learned that the soldiers were combat veterans, police said at the time.

"It appears from interviewing everyone involved that race was not a motivating factor in this homicide," Lawler said in a statement on Monday. He did not clarify whether the initial reports of a racially charged verbal exchange were corroborated by subsequent interviews. "The main suspect, Jeremiah Hill, did not make statement; so it's unknown exactly why he did this," Lawler said.

LINK

These news stations are horrible lately and seem to do anything to sensationalize any story to get more ratings. I first saw this story this morning on CNN with big bold letters saying basically Black man stabs White soldier and going on how it was a hate crime.

Just a few hours later they decided to look into it more and retract the hate crime comments. Who the hell cares what color anyone was, that is a horrible crime regardless of who commits it. It is ignorant to look for reasons to hate or promote the idea that this hatred is more rampant than it is.

Hell our government is frozen in place basically because both sides hate each other and throwing child like tantrums while nothing is getting accomplished. The American people as a whole should be above this stupidity, being considered a melting pot American people means people of all races.

It is funny how the witnesses did claim the yelling was something about color, but once the lawyers and the base got involved....It was NOT racially motivated. End of story.

US Military does not cover up bad behavior in their ranks do they?

reply to post by MALBOSIA


Sorry but if it was all military involved the chance race had anything to do with it is FAR less. People in the military or that grow up on military bases are always around people of pretty much every possible race. If anyone that joined started with some hatred they generally quickly learn how stupid that is.

When you realize your life depends on those around you just as their lives depend on you that hatred is pure stupidity. For children that grow up on military bases around children of all races there doesn't appear to be any differences since the differences seem normal.

I have both grown up in military bases and been active military myself. I happen to be white but worked with plenty of black, hispanic or asian people and there is no real difference in people. We all have the same capacity for greatness or evil, I would have given my life for any of them and I knew I could count on them.

reply to post by inquisitive1977


Not sure why you are saying sorry to me... ??

I never claimed anything.

Powerful speech you gave there...

Its just that, with any group there are bad apples. When they thought gays were bad apples they didn't want to know anything about it. When Vietnam soldiers were getting high on opium to kill the boredom, they didn't want to know about it.

If there is no line drawn between races in the military then how come we have one group of whites vs one group of blacks to begin with?

Your holier than thou view of the military sounds a little romantic or maybe nostalgic. You did say that you serve(d)...

reply to post by MALBOSIA


Wow, so to you common sense is "holier than thou". You probably will not find any other profession with more diversity than the military. The simple fact is for people around others all the time they have to rely on for their life that kind if ignorant hatred is not a factor.

You work together, rely on each other or you can die together. Even more so now since we have basically been in a steady state of war and most military do multiple tours.

Of course like anywhere there might be some bad or ignorant people. It is possible that few retain some form of hatred beyond all common sense, but the fact is that is NOT acceptable by people in the military. If someone felt something they would not show it or say anything at risk of likely receiving a beating by people of every race they work with.

Do you have any first hand military knowledge or experience, somehow I highly doubt it. The fact that I am ex military should provide even more credence to my claims. Every year that kind of ignorance becomes less and less prevalent, by now there will likely be less people even entering the military with any remnants of that kind of hatred.

reply to post by Tazkven


While I realize the accepted definition of a ' hate crime', however, I don't think people actually commit 'like crimes.'

I think that regardless of the victim, the criminal should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

MALBOSIA
reply to post by niobe


You have absolutely nothing to do with this story.

Why do keep injecting yourself into a news story that has NOTHING to do with you.

You can relate because you are black???
I dont know Wrabbit but his/her patients far exceed my own.

edit on 7-10-2013 by MALBOSIA because: (no reason given)

My response was to Wrabbit...regarding his/her lynching comment. YOU have nothing to do with that exchange, unless you were hired to defend Wrabbit's comments and posts on ATS...don't post to me regarding that. Thank you.

reply to post by inquisitive1977



Fact: Group of white people vs group of black people

Fact: Both groups serve at a near by military base

Fact: Witnesses heard shouts relating to racial color

Fact: Police announce race not an issue.


That is all I am going off of. What is in the article, plus one more well known fact: Military covers up bad behavior of soldiers without question. The news article has less chance of being factual than the military not covering up the poor conduct of its soldiers. No, I am proudly NOT military. I am not sure what your or my service or lack of has anything to do with this article.

reply to post by MALBOSIA


You need help with your "Facts".

FACT: Nothing says the people involved in the stabbing were military. You assume and imply that with your use of the word served. In addition you build on that assumption with another assumption that because they were military the military is covering the story up.

FACT: In that story they all but admit they failed with no real investigation initially. They state after "EVERYONE" was interviewed they determined this was not racially motivated.

Unfortunately many might see a group of white people and a group of black people and if they ever have a disagreement they might assume it is racism. Probably like the first witness they talked too. Once they actually checked into the story they realized the truth, but they already got their ratings by sensationalising it so who cares.

No, I am proudly NOT military. I am not sure what your or my service or lack of has anything to do with this article.




FYI since you are not sure what my service or your lack of service has to do with anything I've said than you lack any basic comprehension ability or just failed to read anything I wrote. You make blanket statements about the military with absolutely no first hand knowledge or experience yet everyone should believe you.

Your ability to jump to your own assumptions shows that you care little for actual facts. You want your story to be true and could care less what actually happened.

I am VERY proud not to have you among the ranks of veterans as well, thank you for not tainting our service with your presence.

reply to post by MALBOSIA


I couldn't get the actual link to work for some reason, that's why I didn't link it earlier. Here is the full article from the local NBC affiliate KING 5's website King5.com

Text LAKEWOOD, Wash. -- Three suspects were arrested and booked into Pierce County Jail Monday for the stabbing death of Joint Base Lewis-McChord soldier Tevin Geike. All three suspects are also soldiers at Joint Base Lewis-McChord. A sergeant contacted Lakewood detectives Sunday with information about a 23-year-old suspect who had asked another soldier for first aid for a knife wound. According to the sergeant, the suspect reportedly told the soldier he had cut his hand while stabbing a man over the weekend. However, when the sergeant confronted him, the suspect said he cut his hand while chopping vegetables. The suspect told a different story to hospital staff when went to Madigan Hospital for treatment, claiming he injured his hand while cutting a parachute cord. Officers also interviewed a 21-year-old soldier who admitted to being at the scene. The soldier said the stabbing took place early Saturday after he and four friends in a car had words with a group of men walking on Pacific Highway Southwest. According to the soldier, the car stopped and the men got out but nothing happened once the parties realized everyone was active duty. As they were walking back to the car, however, the 21-year-old soldier said it looked like the suspect gave the victim a "bear-hug" and pushed him to the ground. When the suspect returned to the car, the soldier said the victim was covered in blood and they discovered he had stabbed the victim. A second soldier, 19, corroborated this account. The main suspect in the stabbing did not make a statement to police. The three suspects were booked after police found the suspect vehicle and evidence in the soldiers' barracks. Two other soldiers in the car were reportedly cooperating with police and were not facing charges. Geike, 20, was in a combat aviation unit. Specialist Brian Johnson, who was a friend of Geike's, compared the killing to an act of treason. "You betrayed your country," Johnson sid. "At some point you served your country and now you killed a man that was doing the same." "Why would you stab your own brother in arms," asked Specialist Donald Tener. "You're supposed to have each other's back." According to a statement released by a Joint Base Lewis McChord spokesperson, the three men arrested in the murder were all members of the 3-2 Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 7th Infantry Division. The 23-year-old soldier who police say stabbed Geike, is from Chicago and joined the military in April of 2013. Officers said that based on their interviews, the crime did not appear to be racially motivated. KING 5 is not naming the suspects until they are charged.

reply to post by inquisitive1977



There is no point responding to you. You don't even read the links posted.

It was posted in my links and more recently that the accused is from the same base as the victim.

Do I a have to import this to paint so I can draw colorful circles for you.

I should have bounced out of this thread a long time ago.

have fun!

reply to post by Piper96


Ok, so this report shows they were all military. Not the initial story that started the thread, my error there I didn;t realize they were identified as soldiers.

It still doesn't change anything I said regarding the military and how racism is generally unacceptable with fellow soldiers. It still doesn't change that they admitted there was no real investigation and when all witnesses were interviewed it had nothing to do with racism.

We are talking about a new story and they feed off of sensationalism. If the military wanted to cover this up the newspaper would NOT because it gets more ratings as a hate crime. The only way they would change a new story to be less sensationalized is if they actually investigated and learned they were wrong. Even then not all would change their initial story.

HanzHenry
reply to post by Tazkven

 

Hate Crimes.. yeah right not with black attackers and white victims. Show ONE link of a case. lol

Was sitting at the Loma Linda VA hospital pharmacy today, along with about 40 other vets of various ages and races.

The CNN channel was on and all the MSM says "not a hate crime, this is something else.." Automatically a few people said "victim must of been white".. And ALL AGREED and then "attackers were black probably"..
whew,, I am not the only one with a brain.

WTF guys.. when is this gonna end?


When a group of white guys starts doing it to blacks? NOT GOOD.. but what else will stop it? REALLY? is this the plan by the ELites?

I can say, that if this 'mob of young black' mentality does not stop, their future looks bleak. These youngsters are in a false sense of security.
Many white kids today are defending blacks and Our grandparents are looking at us crazy!..

what if the young white kids start acting like the white kids acted 60 years ago?

Is that what these mobs of young angry blacks want? they WILL be slaughtered if that is the case...

WHAT A MESS!!

Charlie Foxtrot.... USA is cf'd

HanzHenry, you seem to be falling for the standard racial division okey doke. While you are processing this tragic story and somehow coming to the conclusion that blacks seem to be yearning for racial strife, you are probably not paying attention to the very real and present threats from TPTB which are far more pressing than these supposed "mobs of young angry blacks."

A cursory exploration of US homicide statistics would reveal to you that 91% of black homicides are perpetrated by other blacks according to 2011 FBI statistics. Also in 2011, 14% of white homicides were perpetrated by blacks, while 83% of white murders were white on white. To put this into even more perspective, in 10 years of fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan, approximately 6,400 US service men and women were killed, while in that same time period, 100,000 blacks were killed in the US almost exclusively at the hands of other blacks. I think that defines the slaughter you mentioned...just not at the hands of whites.

While people certainly kill for misguided ethnic and racial reasons, it is overwhelmingly an intraracial epidemic! So please be smarter than to fall emotional victim to sentiments of race war, whose flames are ignorantly stoked anytime smart people like you forget the real agenda of the race baiters and MSM. To sell advertising to the distracted consumers while the elites do whatever they please...

reply to post by inquisitive1977


The suspects admit they had an exchange of words with people on the street, and that racial comments were made. They got out and were apparently going to fight until they found out they were soldiers at the same base. Then the crazy guy kills one of them as they got back in the car. I say crazy.. because he went to a medic on base and when asked why or how he cut his hand he admitted to murder.

I'm surprised they ever mentioned race at all .. the media out here hates talking about race, especially here since blacks only make up about 2% of the population.

The day the authorities across the Western world refer to a crime where a white is the victim and the attackers non-white, as a hate crime, without saying may be, is the day I will take note of the issue of racism.

At present its far too one sided for me to do anything but sigh whenever I hear it mentioned, because I know the victim won't be white. Even though here in London, whites are the biggest victims of racially aggrevated hate crimes. Until this is publicly addressed by the media and addressed by authorities, as well as those within non-white communities, just like how white communities had it shoved down our throats for years, then nothing is going to change on this issue. If anything it will get worse as times become more economically challenging and more people aren't willing to just take being stamped on by government, authorities and a section of uneducated society unwilling to help themselves and simply want to sit around all day placing blame on everything and everyone for their own failure.

Wow, what a strange turn of events ...

I am glad they caught the perpetrators and it is a shame they are also soldiers but am unclear how it was determined race was not a factor here.

20-year-old soldier Tevin Geike was celebrating the end of his military service when he was killed early Saturday.

He was walking along Pacific Avenue Southwest in Lakewood with two other soldiers, Matthew Barnes and Brian Johnson.

That's when a car passed by and they heard yelling. Johnson said, "One of the guys in the back seat yells something like white and cracker." Barnes said he yelled back, "So this is how we treat combat veterans now?" The car came back and five black men stepped out. They demanded to know what Barnes had said and he repeated himself.

Four of the five then backed off, but the fifth attacked Tevin Geike and stabbed him. Barnes struggled to stop the bleeding. He said, "I was sitting there, holding my hand on his chest and then called 911 with my left, screaming at them and telling them exactly where we were and they need to hurry and hurry and hurry."

Brian Johnson ran to tell other friends what had happened, but by the time he got back, Geike was dead. Johnson said, "We weren't out looking for trouble and trouble found us anyway." Lakewood police are looking for the killer. Geike's friends say they will remember him as a brother in arms and a man who was unflinchingly loyal to his friends.

Source

As far as I am aware this morning, Brian Johnson never recanted his statement about the racial slurs ... It still appears to me that race is still a factor here.

Just goes to show, like I pointed out earlier in this thread that "they" would have us believe that there is no such thing as white racial slurs or hate crimes committed against whites. When white kills black it is most always racial, black kills white and it isn't. I find this double standard absurd but that is just my opinion ...

DrReco

While people certainly kill for misguided ethnic and racial reasons, it is overwhelmingly an intraracial epidemic! So please be smarter than to fall emotional victim to sentiments of race war, whose flames are ignorantly stoked anytime smart people like you forget the real agenda of the race baiters and MSM. To sell advertising to the distracted consumers while the elites do whatever they please...

Doc, yours are the best words I found strung together in this whole thread (not to define the comments of other ATSers as lacking in value ... and some of which took me completely by surprise). HanzHenry's comments were among the first to make me stop scanning and actually read. HanzHenry's remarks are going to be another headline topic on this forum if people as smart as you don't get involved IRL.

I didn't quote your percentages because: Lots of Graphs

What I took away from HanzHenry's message, specific to the phrasing of your response: White people are about fed up with black people killing whites ... you'd best keep that crap amongst yourselves ... or else.

The OP is onto something in terms of conspiracy. Why are white people so quick to take the bait when race is eliminated as 'part' of the reason for a heinous crime. Here we're talking about the death of a young man with a full life ahead of him. No reason to look beyond that, but if we did, what's the next most important thing? How about the loss the parents of this young man are experiencing? Are either of these lessened, because the murder 'may have been' racially motivated?

Oh, and for the record, I can't recall the last time I saw a headline that read: "Some White Dude Killed Another White Dude."