Follow-up: CRIMINALBLACKMAN

Remember this crime alert story from yesterday? It came from the ASU Police Department:

At approximately 5:55 pm this evening, a male student reported to ASU Police that he was walking on Holmes Drive when two unknown black male suspects physically knocked him down and stole money from his wallet. The incident occurred at the Holmes Convocation Center near the Faculty Street intersection. The male student reported that there were no weapons involved and the black male suspects fled the area in a red older model Jeep Cherokee. The suspects are described as follows: Suspect 1 is a black male early 20’s approximately 6’0, thin build with short hair wearing a red hooded sweatshirt and jeans; Suspect 2 is a black male early 20’s approximately 6’0, thin build with short hair wearing a black hooded sweatshirt and jeans. ASU Police are continuing to investigate the incident.

....

 

Read that again, then read this crime alert from the same university:

 Boone Police reported that at approximately 7pm on 11/14/2012, two white males wearing ski masks broke into an apartment located near campus on Coffey Street.  The residents of the apartment reported the intruders attacked them demanding money and drugs.  The residents and neighbors fought off the intruders and were able to subdue one of the attackers until police arrived.  The second suspect escaped and remains at large.

ASU student Travis Dean Edgerton, age 20, from Chapel Hill was arrested and charged with felony burglary, felony attempted robbery with a dangerous weapon and assault with a deadly weapon.  He is in the Watauga County Detention Center under a $100,000 bond with a December 18, 2012 court date.

The second suspect is described as a white male approximately 5 feet 10 inches tall, weighing 170lbs.  Anyone with information about this crime is asked to contact Boone Police at 828-268-6900.

....

Notice any difference???

In the first, the offenders are described as black males THREE times ...

1) At approximately 5:55 pm this evening, a male student reported to ASU Police that he was walking on Holmes Drive when two unknown black male suspects physically knocked him down and stole money from his wallet.
2) The male student reported that there were no weapons involved and the black male suspects fled the area in a red older model Jeep Cherokee.
3) The suspects are described as follows: Suspect 1 is a black male early 20’s approximately 6’0, thin build with short hair wearing a red hooded sweatshirt and jeans; Suspect 2 is a black male early 20’s approximately 6’0, thin build with short hair wearing a black hooded sweatshirt and jeans. ASU Police are continuing to investigate the incident.

In the second, the offenders are described as white males only twice:

1) Boone Police reported that at approximately 7pm on 11/14/2012, two white males wearing ski masks broke into an apartment located near campus on Coffey Street.

 

2) The second suspect is described as a white male approximately 5 feet 10 inches tall, weighing 170lbs.

 

Notice that the following sentences from the second crime alert did NOT indicate the race or gender of the offenders:

 

"The residents of the apartment reported the intruders attacked them demanding money and drugs."

 

"The residents and neighbors fought off the intruders and were able to subdue one of the attackers until police arrived.  The second suspect escaped and remains at large."

 

So, I ask again, why in the first story are the offenders again identified as black males when doing so adds literally no new information to the crime alert?

In other words, if you're going to say this: "The male student reported that there were no weapons involved and the black male suspects fled the area in a red older model Jeep Cherokee" ... then why not say this: "The residents of the apartment reported the white male intruders attacked them demanding money and drugs" and "The residents and neighbors fought off the white male intruders and were able to subdue one of the attackers until police arrived.  The second suspect escaped and remains at large" ?????

This is a stunning example of how media communications can drop subtle hints about how race is correlated with danger in American society.