Final week, a grand jury in Burke County, Georgia, dismissed expenses towards 25-year-old Hannah Cobb, who, in February, was charged with involuntary manslaughter within the loss of life of her boyfriend, 30-year-old Telvin Osborne. It was a case that had instantly drawn consideration from bloggers and others on social media, largely as a result of Cobb’s story as to how she ended up fatally capturing her boyfriend gave the impression to be inconsistent, main individuals to doubt it was the freak accident she initially claimed it was. And, after all, since Cobb is a white lady and Osborne is a Black man, the concern that the justice system would fail the sufferer loomed massive — that’s, till web sleuths started to unearth Osborne’s previous tweets, which made it clear his disdain for Black ladies.
However earlier than we get into all that, let’s go over Cobb’s case. As we beforehand reported, at round 5:45 a.m. on Feb. 23, Burke County sheriff’s deputies discovered Osborne’s physique in the master suite of the couple’s dwelling with a single gunshot wound in his chest. Cobb, who was arrested on Feb. 25, claimed she was cleansing her gun and “it by accident went off,” however that story quickly shifted.
From 11 Alive:
Though Cobb said it was an accident, the Burke County sheriff informed the Augusta station that Osborne’s loss of life was not labeled as unintentional and that each Osborne and Cobb had been ingesting. The sheriff additionally stated there was an altercation earlier than the capturing.
Cobb was ultimately charged with felony involuntary manslaughter and arrested. She was granted a $25,000 bond below situations. A March listening to revealed conflicting accounts within the lethal capturing of Osborne, WRDW/WAGT reported.
Ring digital camera footage confirmed Cobb telling Osborne to go away. She later informed investigators he returned with a knife and threatened her. Prosecutors stated she locked him out, acquired threatening texts, and fled to the toilet. When he compelled his manner in, she allegedly fired one shot.
So, on Aug. 24, the case was offered to a grand jury, which returned with a “no invoice” resolution, which means there could be no expenses.
After the choice was handed down final Friday, the Burke County Sheriff’s Workplace launched an announcement addressing “rumors circulating on social media concerning potential rioting in Waynesboro” that night time.
“You will need to perceive that the grand jury is a authorized physique tasked with listening to all proof offered in a case earlier than reaching a choice. Whereas we acknowledge that this consequence could also be upsetting or unpopular to some, we strongly urge everybody to chorus from actions that might additional hurt our group,” the assertion learn. “The Burke County Sheriff’s Workplace stays dedicated to defending all residents and guests in our county. Any acts of violence or rioting is not going to be tolerated and can be dealt with accordingly below the regulation.”
Because it turned out, there have been no reported riots that night time or any night time since. In truth, there weren’t any reported protests on Osborne’s behalf in any respect.
It’s onerous to say why the story of Hannah Cobb and Telvin Osborne by no means gained the identical traction as comparable tales, resembling that of Christian “Toby” Obumseli, who was fatally stabbed inside a luxurious condominium constructing, One Paraiso, in Miami’s Edgewater neighborhood on April 3, 2022, by his white girlfriend, Courtney Clenney. Cobb and Osborne’s case might have polarized America the identical manner Karmelo Anthony’s story has, but it surely by no means actually took root in mainstream information the identical manner.
So far as getting consideration from the Black collective, the couple’s story was doomed from the beginning, as a result of as soon as Black ladies came upon that Osborne reportedly made a number of disparaging tweets about Black ladies over time, together with a remark that he’d “relatively sleep with a canine than a Black lady,” and so they let or not it’s recognized early on that they’d be minding their very own enterprise as a substitute of going to bat for a “self-hating” Black man.
A few of Osborne’s relations responded to the backlash in ways in which point out misogynoir might need been a household affair.
“Let this Telvin Osborne killing be a lesson to all of the self-hating women and men of the Black group,” one Black lady tweeted in February. “You come out right here on social media or in the actual world proclaiming how a lot you hate the individuals of your group and, in his case, his hate of Black ladies, please know we is not going to be out right here elevating a phrase or finger. He went out the best way he wished to. Hopefully, the white canine and white ladies of America could have his again.”
And perhaps that’s, certainly, the lesson right here. Telvin Osborne’s loss of life was tragic, and definitely nothing to rejoice, but when a Black man bought lynched after gleefully expressing his assist for the Ku Klux Klan, nobody would query why Black individuals opted to not rally behind him.
We’ve to use that very same logic to Black males who disrespect Black ladies whereas praising their white counterparts. When racial injustice occurs to Black males, Black ladies present up 9 instances out of ten.
That tenth time? Nicely, that’s simply what occurs when Black ladies obtain hate or indifference as a substitute of reciprocity.
SEE ALSO:
Georgia Girl Charged With Involuntary Manslaughter After Black Boyfriend Discovered Shot Useless
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