Holtzclaw is just one of the thousands of police officers in America who lost their badge due to assault, sodomy, and rape. After one woman accused him of raping her, Holtzclaw was still able to keep his job.
A lot of women who were raped by officers might be too scared to be laughed at if they speak up. However, Holtzclaw’s verdict may encourage victims who kept silent to finally stand up for themselves. Holtzclaw, sobbing and looking like he’s lost his battle despite his confidence that the prosecutors will protect him, will never be forgotten.
Buzzfeed collected a few testimonies from his victims.
He spoke to me and told me I wasn’t going to jail. [He asked did] I have any drugs under my shirt, and I said, no. And he asked could he see, so I lifted my shirt up and let him see.
I knew if I didn’t I was going to jail.
I have been in the streets a very long time. And I know things — it naturally comes. First of all, if they going to search you a woman should be there to search you. Why would a man be asking what’s under my shirt and could he see what’s under my shirt?
He kept telling me, ‘You know, you got these warrants. When are you going to take care of them?’
Holtzclaw was charged with first and second degree rape, stalking, sexual battery, forcible oral sodomy, indecent exposure, burglary, and he confidently did these things multiple times while the community expected him to “serve and protect”.
On 2014, Holtzclaw denied every accusations, and his family supported him fully - his sister selling t-shirts with “Free the Claw” theme.
Holtzclaw’s reaction to the verdict just shows how confident he is of the system’s anti-black racism. Realizing how wrong he is to think that way, he started to sob and question the verdict.
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