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A review by booktosaurus
Convicted: A Crooked Cop, an Innocent Man, and an Unlikely Journey of Forgiveness and Friendship by Jameel Zookie McGee, Andrew Collins, Mark A. Tabb
5.0
“Voiceless...I took his voice away...How many more voices have I stolen? Whose am I stifling now? I pray this book gives [Jameel] back his voice.”
Convicted is a true story of Jameel and Andrew as well as the events leading up to, surrounding, and following February 8, 2006. Both men have made decisions that led to their lives intersecting in many ways. As the title infers, this story accounts a cop determined to convict, no matter the cost, and an innocent man who was at the wrong place at the wrong time. Jameel and Andrew learn about forgiveness and letting go in different ways.
Jameel is from Benton Harbor, MI, where the population is predominately black, drugs rule the streets, and there is little trust between the people and their police department. On February 8, 2006, Andrew arrested Jameel for possession of drugs with intent to distribute. Andrew was absolutely sure he caught a notorious local drug dealer and he was sure the conviction would hold up. Andrew had a history of pushing the limits of the law, falsifying police reports, and being a dirty cop. But that didn’t matter because he was “cleaning up the streets.”
Most of the book focuses on the events taking place after Jameel’s arrest. We follow Jameel’s trial and time in prison. In prison, Jameel is forced with a tough decision—should be carry on the way he always has? Or should he let people in and share his story? On the other hand, we follow Andrew’s climb to being the top narcotics detective in the city, the choices Andrew made, and his inevitable downfall. However, we also get to see each man make the best of the hand they were dealt and how they overcame the men they were in the past.
Andrew and Jameel’s lives intersect in Benton Harbor in multiple ways. Both men have to decide whether revenge or a clear conscious is the better option. The growth of both men is evident over the course of the several years this novel spans. In finding and listening to God, each man learns that forgiveness is the best course of action and that both men have something to offer Benton Harbor.
In this story, we learn of forgiveness and how far love and understanding can take us. I highly recommend this book. It is both eye opening and heart-warming to know that two men who were on the opposite sides of the law, one guilty of committing crimes and the other innocent, have woven two separate stories that come together in an unexpected way. I am impressed with the writing style and the set up of this book. I love seeing both Andrew’s and Jameel’s perspective of the same pivotal event and how each man deals with the fallout from the choices he made.
I received this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for this review.
Convicted is a true story of Jameel and Andrew as well as the events leading up to, surrounding, and following February 8, 2006. Both men have made decisions that led to their lives intersecting in many ways. As the title infers, this story accounts a cop determined to convict, no matter the cost, and an innocent man who was at the wrong place at the wrong time. Jameel and Andrew learn about forgiveness and letting go in different ways.
Jameel is from Benton Harbor, MI, where the population is predominately black, drugs rule the streets, and there is little trust between the people and their police department. On February 8, 2006, Andrew arrested Jameel for possession of drugs with intent to distribute. Andrew was absolutely sure he caught a notorious local drug dealer and he was sure the conviction would hold up. Andrew had a history of pushing the limits of the law, falsifying police reports, and being a dirty cop. But that didn’t matter because he was “cleaning up the streets.”
Most of the book focuses on the events taking place after Jameel’s arrest. We follow Jameel’s trial and time in prison. In prison, Jameel is forced with a tough decision—should be carry on the way he always has? Or should he let people in and share his story? On the other hand, we follow Andrew’s climb to being the top narcotics detective in the city, the choices Andrew made, and his inevitable downfall. However, we also get to see each man make the best of the hand they were dealt and how they overcame the men they were in the past.
Andrew and Jameel’s lives intersect in Benton Harbor in multiple ways. Both men have to decide whether revenge or a clear conscious is the better option. The growth of both men is evident over the course of the several years this novel spans. In finding and listening to God, each man learns that forgiveness is the best course of action and that both men have something to offer Benton Harbor.
In this story, we learn of forgiveness and how far love and understanding can take us. I highly recommend this book. It is both eye opening and heart-warming to know that two men who were on the opposite sides of the law, one guilty of committing crimes and the other innocent, have woven two separate stories that come together in an unexpected way. I am impressed with the writing style and the set up of this book. I love seeing both Andrew’s and Jameel’s perspective of the same pivotal event and how each man deals with the fallout from the choices he made.
I received this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for this review.