The recent incident of a Chicago mother being attacked and her 14-year-old son coming to her rescue is a prime example.
Reporters breathlessly told at least part of the story of 35-year-old Carlisha Hood and her son. They recounted the police account of the killing of 32-year-old Jerry Brown late Wednesday night but added their own spin.
Fox8News headlined the narrative with, “Mother instructed 14-year-old son to shoot, kill man at hot dog stand, court docs allege.”
And USA Today blasted the headline, “A woman told her teen son to shoot man at a hot dog stand, police say. Both are charged with murder.”
The casual person perusing the media would get the clear impression that this Chicago mother used her offspring to carry out a hit on a poor innocent civilian. Truly a tale of gun violence featuring a nasty twist to shock and appall the reader.
Only, that’s hardly the way the incident went down. Thanks to video evidence, we now know the truth.
Hood and Brown engaged in an argument while she waited for her food at the hot dog stand, Maxwell Street Express. The video does not reveal the context of the dispute, but that hardly mattered considering what happened next.
At some point she was able to text her son, who was waiting in her car, and asked him to come to help her. What he found when he arrived would shock any child.
The 14-year-old, according to video evidence, witnessed Brown land three punches to his mother’s head. Video showed the assailant readying for a fourth strike when the son opened fire.
Brown, according to the cellphone video, ran out of the restaurant and was followed by the son, who continued to fire. The alleged attacker died on the scene.
Community activist Ja’Mal Green defended the son’s response. “No one else in the establishment did anything. And so, once he saw his mother get severely hit, he took action.”
Hood was arrested by Chicago police and held on a $3 million bond. Meanwhile her son was also arrested and held “without bail.” Undoubtedly a frightening situation for both, at least until video from inside the restaurant was revealed.
The Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office quickly issued a statement concerning the charges.
“Based on our continued review and in light of emerging evidence, today the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office has moved to dismiss the charges against Carlisha Hood and her 14-year-old son. Based on the facts, evidence, and the law we are unable to meet our burden of proof in the prosecution of these cases.”
Now Hood is striking back.
Standing at a news conference with her attorneys, Hood announced this week that they filed legal action against the city of Chicago and five police officers.
“On June 18 of this year, my life changed, my son’s life changed,” she told reporters. “Never in a million years would I have imagined being brutally attacked, beaten, and then arrested.”
It is not difficult to imagine a settlement coming from the city in what was an obvious case of self-defense. Hood was the victim in the incident, and her son is nothing less than a hero.
In defense of the arresting officers, they likely did what they were trained to do in such an instance. And Cook County prosecutors, not exactly known for siding with victims, also did the right thing when evidence revealed the true nature of the case.
Still, it is telling to see the mainstream media reaction and the spin that was placed on the story. It is no small wonder why those who treasure the Second Amendment and the right to self-defense place little faith in reporting on these issues.
