Michael Constantine a Jewish businessman cutting through Harlem to avoid traffic on the FDR Drive, strikes and kills a young black boy who ran out into the street. He does not stop but does report to the precinct and Jerry Orbach and Chris Noth are already assigned to the case. Which is a big nothing for them as Accident&Investigation clears Constantine of any criminal charges.
Not good enough for some of the rabblerousers like Reverend Tony Todd who get a nice riot going and a passing white motorist is dragged from his car and killed. Young Kevin Thigpen is the one caught on video and charged.
Oddly enough this reminded me of the Bensonhurst racial hate crime from a few years at least in the defense Lorraine Toussaint tries to mount. He was swept along in the frenzy of the moment by the mob. That's exactly what happened in Bensonhurst as all the white Italian kids rioted because a couple of black youth were in their neighborhood. One rather weak willed individual named Joey Fama brought a knife to the riot and stabbed Yussuf Hawkins to death.
To see how this works in the case of Kevin Thigpen as being prosecuted by Michael Moriarty watch this compelling episode.
Not good enough for some of the rabblerousers like Reverend Tony Todd who get a nice riot going and a passing white motorist is dragged from his car and killed. Young Kevin Thigpen is the one caught on video and charged.
Oddly enough this reminded me of the Bensonhurst racial hate crime from a few years at least in the defense Lorraine Toussaint tries to mount. He was swept along in the frenzy of the moment by the mob. That's exactly what happened in Bensonhurst as all the white Italian kids rioted because a couple of black youth were in their neighborhood. One rather weak willed individual named Joey Fama brought a knife to the riot and stabbed Yussuf Hawkins to death.
To see how this works in the case of Kevin Thigpen as being prosecuted by Michael Moriarty watch this compelling episode.