ESPN's Bryant Claims Racism

Claims Of Racism In Arrest of ESPN Reporter Howard Bryant
Published: Monday, February 28, 2011, 12:05 PM Updated: Tuesday, March 01, 2011, 8:33 AM

By Fred Contrada, The Republican

John Suchocki / The Republican02.28.2011 | GREENFIELD - ESPN senior writer Howard Bryant, center, appears in district court on domestic assault charges. At left is his wife, Veronique Bryant. Attorney Buz Eisenberg stands at right.


GREENFIELD – The lawyer for ESPN writer Howard Bryant, who was arrested Saturday on charges that he assaulted his wife and a police officer, said Monday that police overreacted to the situation because it involved a black man and a white woman.:smt104

“This case is about the fact that racism still exists in America, and Howard Bryant is a victim of it,” said attorney Buz Eisenberg.

Bryant, 42, a senior writer for ESPN, pleaded innocent Monday in Greenfield District Court to charges of domestic assault and battery, resisting arrest and assault and battery on a police officer.

In an interview with The Republican, Bryant, who is black, and his wife Veronique Bryant, who is white, both insisted that police used unnecessary force while arresting Bryant after what they described as a verbal argument in front of Buckland Pizza in Shelburne Falls. The couple, who live in Ashfield, said some customers in the pizza parlor saw the argument and called police.

“It wasn’t an assault or a battery,” said Veronique Bryant. “I was not scared. He was not touching me. We had a discussion. The police reacted in a totally inappropriate way.”

Veronique Bryant added that she did not press charges against her husband.

Howard Bryant, who appeared in court wearing a scarf from the Vancouver Olympics, which he covered for ESPN, acknowledged that he lost his temper in what he termed a “public altercation,” saying he embarrassed his community, his family and his employer.

“On the other hand, everything the police said was false,” Bryant added.

According to Bryant, he and his wife were in their car with their six-year-old son when state and local police arrived. They told him to get out of the car and ordered him to take his hands out of his pockets, even though they were not in his pockets, he said.

“I raised my hands over my head so they wouldn’t shoot me,” Bryant said. “They smashed my head on the car and pulled my sweatshirt hood up over my head.”

When Bryant insisted that he was not resisting arrest, an officer asked him if he wanted to be "Tasered," he said. The couple said they were especially distraught because the incident took place in front of their son.
“One conversation would have stopped it all,” Bryant said.
David A. Procopio, a spokesman for the Massachusetts State Police, issued a statement Monday saying Bryant was arrested, first and foremost, because evidence indicated that he physically assaulted a woman.

“He had additional charges filed against him because he was combative with arresting officers,” Procopio said. “To claim race had anything to do with his arrest is not only wrong, but is also an insult to domestic violence victims and to the vast majority of people from all racial backgrounds who choose to obey the law and refrain from violence.”

According to police, witnesses reported that Bryant choked his wife and pushed her into a car. They said Bryant struck a trooper in the chest with his elbow during the three minutes it took to subdue him.

Bryant, a Boston native, is the author of three books, including, “Shut Out: A Story of Race and Baseball in Boston.” He worked at The Washington Post and other newspapers before joining ESPN.

Judge Maureen Walsh released Bryant on his own recognizance on the condition that he not abuse his wife, who was with him in court. She scheduled a pretrial conference for April 21.

First Assistant District Attorney Steven E. Gagne said, "We will pursue this case in the normal course, without regard to the stature or employment of anyone involved."

 

You know what l love about this article. His girl stayed by his side and stood up for her man. Real ride or die shit.

This is the first time I've ever heard of a black republican with a white chick lol. I wonder if she's republican too. Actually now that I think about it why is that shit relevant to the story.

 

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Just another one of those situations you cant prove in this so called "post racial" era.

At least in the old days everybody knew what to expect.

 

Real talk. Now the burden of proof is on the victim. I thought when cops got domestic violence calls the woman HAD to press charges in order for the guy to be arrested. Guess it doesn't apply to black men since we can't to pimp smack our women. Smdh.

 

Man your my new hero! However, i would expect all black republican's would date white women, cause if they didn't. A: Why the fuck else would they be republican in the first place, and B: any black woman would probably kick their ass straight out of principle for being republican. I've heard of black republican males, but can't recall EVER seeing a photo of a documented black republican female.

Again, how is this shit even relevant...

All in all, i call bullshit. Man is probably totally guilty, the lady has the usual case (mild or otherwise) of Stockholm syndrome, and the lawyer will play up every racial advantage he can, cause well, that's what he's paid a shit ton of money to do.

Remember that tagline from Road to Perdition:

"There are only murderers in this room! Michael! Open your eyes! This is the life we chose, the life we lead. And there is only one guarantee: none of us will see heaven... "

 

Bold red evidence. Nuf' said.

 

WTF is with the hatred of Boston on this website???????

And LA, you should know better, coming from Rodney King country....

Lived in Mass all but 2 years of my life....

Never been arrested...

Never gotten a speeding ticket OR traffic violation...

Drive too fast most of the time...

Never been pulled over by a staty...

Never been racially profiled...

Boston is not what the movies perceive it to be, and the bussing riots we like 40 years ago already. :smt102

 

Google most racist northern city fam

 

google how many white women have visited RRoyce55's bedroom in his playa days....

OR...

How many white women RRoyce55 has dated without their dads pulling out the shotgun on his black ass....

 

you aint lyin

in the old days if a mothafucka said cops beat him or did some other greasy shit for being in an IR joint, 9 times out of 10 he was telling the truth lol

Boston up in this mothafucka again!

he put you on blast, youngin'

swagger jacked up all over the place now

 

i wouldnt jump to conclusions and just back the guy because hes black, and bash the cops because of what happened in the past.

 

Then take the word of the alleged victim who says he didn't lay a hand on her. Did you even read the article?

 

if you have multiple witnesses disputing what she says, thats problematic. she could be telling the truth and the witnesses were wrong, or she couldve realized that this was becoming something bigger and just played it off as nothing happening.

i lean towards the latter.

im also tired of people like bryant throwing out the race card non stop. you can only say it so many times before people stop listening. then when the real incidents happen, they are downplayed because of people like bryant throwing the race card in whenever he can.

 

All those witnesses and no video? No photos?

 

Fair enough good point made but knowing how people are when they see an argument with a bm involved its automatic in their minds that you're guilty especially when it involves a female. So my first instinct is to side with him but you made a valid point.

 

dont know if theres anything or not.

just tired of people constantly defending the guy because he's black.

that is not logical thinking.

yeah, there are bad cops, but there are also plenty of good cops. let it play out. dont jump to conclusions.

 

Another good point. We got some smart ass mofos on this forum.

 

I agree with you on that but I'm sorry because I still believe that cops of any race or gender are quicker to get physical with minorities...especially black &/or Hispanic males!

 

Yeah I'm still waiting for the numbers on how many whites are unjustifiably shot. I be its dwarf size in comparison to blacks yet they out numbers us 4 to 1