HOUSTON, Texas – Armed Black Panther members marched in front of the Waller County jail and shouted, “You’re gonna stop doing what you’re doing, or we will start creeping up on you in the darkness.”
The statement was made just two weeks prior to the assassination of a Harris County deputy sheriff.
Shannon Miles, a black male, allegedly came “creeping up” behind Harris County Deputy Darren Goforth in the darkness on the night of August 28. While Goforth stood at a convenience store pumping gas into his patrol vehicle, Miles allegedly raised a pistol and shot him dead.
The comments, made by a leader of the Houston-based chapter of the New Black Panther Party, were captured on a short video clip (below) from the scene by the Houston Chronicle. The writers from the Chronicle made no mention of the threat in their article published that same day.
Not part of a chant, the march leader, wearing the rank of colonel, shouted directly to Harris County mounted deputies through a megaphone. “You think we’re not pissed off a bunch about y’all killing our sisters? You think it’s okay? [We’re] the wrong n***ers to mess with. You’re gonna stop doing what you’re doing, or we will start creeping up on you in the darkness.”
The rally, also covered by Breitbart Texas, took place at the Waller County Jail where inmate Sandra Bland took her own life by hanging herself with a trash bag after her arrest following a traffic stop in the town of Prairie View. She was accused of an illegal lane change and assaulting a police officer. After being left in jail by her family for three days, Bland hung herself.
In the video below, Breitbart Texas recorded several other violent statements towards police. “The revolution is on… Off the pigs,” and “Oink Oink… Bang Bang!,” was the message leveled by the heavily armed Black Panthers directly at Harris County deputies who had been asked by the Waller County Sheriff to come out to help keep the peace.
Two weeks later, a black man, Shannon Miles, allegedly walked up behind Deputy Goforth and shot him in the head and back fifteen times, according to a Breitbart Texas report on Miles’ first court appearance.
The Waller County jail is located just over 30 miles from the Chevron station where Goforth was executed. The alleged killer, Shannon Miles, also attended the same university as Sandra Bland. It is possible that her arrest and subsequent suicide could have played a role in Miles’ possible motivation.
Lana Shadwick is a contributing writer and legal analyst for Breitbart Texas. She has served as a prosecutor and an associate judge. Follow her on Twitter @LanaShadwick2.
Bob Price is a senior political news contributor for Breitbart Texas and a member of the original Breitbart Texas team. Follow him on Twitter @BobPriceBBTX.