***************************** AHMAUD ARBERY *******************************
White Father, Son Duo Arrested in Black Man's Murder
Underlining the frustration of Black community and partiality of law enforcement agencies, it took er more than two months after February 23, 2020, shooting death of a Black jogger for authorities to arrest two White men, Travis McMichael and his father, Gregory McMichael, on May 7, 2020 after a video surfaced that changed the narrative in the murder of Ahmaud Arbery, 25. It was clear from the video that McMichaels opened fire on Arbery cold blooded as the Black man was jogging in the Satilla Shores neighborhood, just outside Brunswick.
Hundreds Protest Arbery Murder
Hundreds of protesters assembled at the Glynn County courthouse at Brunswick on May 8, 2020 to denounce the killing of Ahmaud Arbery by two White men, Travis McMichael and his father, Gregory McMichael, as the 25-year-old former high school football player was jogging on a February Sunday at Satilla Shores neighborhood, and sing "Happy Birthday" for Arbery as he would have turned 26 during the day. The case ignited fury and condemnation throughout Georgia and beyond as it took more than two months for authorities to take action, and that was only possible after a video surfaced online and social media of cold blooded nature of the killing. NAACP and civil rights groups are demanding federal takeover of the investigation as there was no hate crime law in Georgia. The father and son had been charged on felony murder and aggravated assault.
Georgia A.G. Asks U.S. DOJ to Probe Arbery Murder Case
Georgia Attorney-General Chris Carr said in a statement on May 10, 2020 that "we are committed" to discovering the truth in a "complete and transparent" manner, and asked the U.S. DOJ to investigate into the murder and the case had been handled since two White men opened fire on Ahmaud Arbery on February 23, 2020.
Videographer Charged, Arrested
A fifty-year-old whose cellphone video helped arrest a White father-son duo in the February 23, 2020, murder of a former high school footballer, Ahmaud Arbery, was on May 21, 2020 arrested on charges of felony murder and criminal attempt to commit false imprisonment. Georgia Bureau of Investigation said during the day that it would hold a press conference on the arrest of William "Roddie" Bryan, the video maker of the murder.
Three Charged in Arbery Murder
Three White men were on June 24, 2020 charged in the February 23, 2020, murder of Ahmaud Arbery at a coastal suburb in Georgia. Travis McMichael and his father, Gregory McMichael, and William "Roddie" Bryan each face nine counts of charges: malice murder, four counts of felony murder, two counts of aggravated assaults, false imprisonment and criminal attempt to commit false imprisonment. Prosecutor Joyette Holmes unveiled the charges returned by a grand jury.
White Father, Son Duo Arrested in Black Man's Murder
Underlining the frustration of Black community and partiality of law enforcement agencies, it took er more than two months after February 23, 2020, shooting death of a Black jogger for authorities to arrest two White men, Travis McMichael and his father, Gregory McMichael, on May 7, 2020 after a video surfaced that changed the narrative in the murder of Ahmaud Arbery, 25. It was clear from the video that McMichaels opened fire on Arbery cold blooded as the Black man was jogging in the Satilla Shores neighborhood, just outside Brunswick.
Hundreds Protest Arbery Murder
Hundreds of protesters assembled at the Glynn County courthouse at Brunswick on May 8, 2020 to denounce the killing of Ahmaud Arbery by two White men, Travis McMichael and his father, Gregory McMichael, as the 25-year-old former high school football player was jogging on a February Sunday at Satilla Shores neighborhood, and sing "Happy Birthday" for Arbery as he would have turned 26 during the day. The case ignited fury and condemnation throughout Georgia and beyond as it took more than two months for authorities to take action, and that was only possible after a video surfaced online and social media of cold blooded nature of the killing. NAACP and civil rights groups are demanding federal takeover of the investigation as there was no hate crime law in Georgia. The father and son had been charged on felony murder and aggravated assault.
Georgia A.G. Asks U.S. DOJ to Probe Arbery Murder Case
Georgia Attorney-General Chris Carr said in a statement on May 10, 2020 that "we are committed" to discovering the truth in a "complete and transparent" manner, and asked the U.S. DOJ to investigate into the murder and the case had been handled since two White men opened fire on Ahmaud Arbery on February 23, 2020.
Videographer Charged, Arrested
A fifty-year-old whose cellphone video helped arrest a White father-son duo in the February 23, 2020, murder of a former high school footballer, Ahmaud Arbery, was on May 21, 2020 arrested on charges of felony murder and criminal attempt to commit false imprisonment. Georgia Bureau of Investigation said during the day that it would hold a press conference on the arrest of William "Roddie" Bryan, the video maker of the murder.
Three Charged in Arbery Murder
Three White men were on June 24, 2020 charged in the February 23, 2020, murder of Ahmaud Arbery at a coastal suburb in Georgia. Travis McMichael and his father, Gregory McMichael, and William "Roddie" Bryan each face nine counts of charges: malice murder, four counts of felony murder, two counts of aggravated assaults, false imprisonment and criminal attempt to commit false imprisonment. Prosecutor Joyette Holmes unveiled the charges returned by a grand jury.
DOJ Brings Federal Hate Crimes Charges against Trio
Upping the ante in its drive to enforce federal civil rights law and more active federal oversight, Biden administration's Justice Department on April 28, 2021 issued federal hate crimes indictments against Travis McMichael and his father, Gregory McMichael, and William "Roddie" Bryan related to the murder of Ahmaud Arbery.
1863 Citizen Arrest Law Repealed
As the latest of a series of measures in response to Ahmaud Arbery's February 23, 2020, murder, Georgia Governor Brian Kemp on May 10, 2021 signed the House Bill 479 that would revoke rights of a citizen to arrest another citizen, a law harking back to 1863 when it used to be applied to arrest escaping slaves. After the signing of the House Bill 479, Governor Kemp had a phone conversation with Ahmaud Arbery's mom, Wanda Cooper Jones, who was "thankful" for the repeal of the 1863 law.
Former Arbery Case DA Indicted
Former Glynn County District Attorney Jackie Johnson on September 2, 2021 was indicted on two counts of charges related to her showing a clear favoritism to White dad and son implicated in the killing of Ahmaud Arbery on February 23, 2020. The grand jury unveiled the charges after Georgia Attorney-General Chris Carr pressed ahead with the case. One count against Johnson, who had lost the November 2021 re-election, was related to the obstruction of police activity as she had told two Glynn County police officers not to arrest Travis McMichael. On September 3, 2021, Wanda Cooper Jones, mother of Ahmaud Arbery, thanked the state attorney general, Chris Carr, for keeping his promise and move ahead with the case that had led to a two-count indictment of Former Glynn County DA Jackie Johnson issued a day earlier by a Glynn County grand jury.
Defense Attorney Requests Rev. Jackson to be Removed from Court Gallery
A defense attorney, who had raised eyebrows last week for saying that lot of "Black pastors" were coming to the court, evoked outrage on November 15, 2021 for demanding that Rev. Jesse Jackson be removed from the court room. Judge Timothy Walmsley has rejected the request of attorney Kevin Gough, who is representing William "Rodie" Bryan. Gough has made similar demand to oust Reverend Al Sharpton on November 11, 2021. Black clergies are furious at the demeaning and insensitive statements made by Gough. Attorney Ben Crump called for "100 Black pastors" to join him in Brunswick, Glynn County. The killing of Ahmaud Arbery at the Satilla Shores neighborhood of Brunswick evoked the pulsating urge of racial reckoning as the country was being traumatized in 2020 by a host of high-profile killings of Black people at the hands of law enforcement agencies.
Prosecution Rests Its Case
After eight days of testimony from 23 witnesses, prosecution team on November 16, 2021 rested its case.
Guilty on All Counts Verdict Brings a Sense of Closure to Arbery Family
After 10 hours of deliberations, all-White jury on November 24, 2021 convicted Travis McMichael and his father, Gregory McMichael, and William "Roddie" Bryan on all 23 counts. Judge Timothy Walmsley has yet to decide a date for sentencing, which will be either a life sentence with or without parole. The prosecution attorney Linda Dunikoski said subsequently that the "jury system works in this country".
All Three Sentenced to Life in Ahmaud Arbery Murder Case
Judge Timothy Walmsley on January 7, 2022 sentenced Travis McMichael and Gregory McMichael to life in prison without parole and William "Roddie" Bryan to life imprisonment with the option of parole after three decades. The case riveted the nation as part of a national reckoning of social and racial justice movement that engulfed the U.S. in the last couple of years.
Judge Rejects Plea Agreement between Father-Son Defendants and Government
U.S. District Judge Lisa Godbey Wood on January 31, 2022 rejected a plea agreement reached between the federal prosecutors and McMichael father and son duo. The deal, if approved, would allow Travis McMichael and Gregory McMichael to spend the first 30 years in the federal prison instead of the state prison, where conditions are often harsher. The family of Ahmaud Arbery, including his parents, Wanda Cooper Jones and Marcus Arbery, slammed the U.S. Justice Department's plea deal with McMichaels that would avert a federal hate crimes trial. After the judge's rejection of the plea deal, the trial will begin on February 7, 2022 with the jury questioning process.
Trio Convicted in Federal Hate Crimes Trial
After days of hearings and jury deliberation, Travis McMichael, Gregory McMichael and William "Roddie" Bryan were convicted on the counts of federal hate crimes. The February 22, 2022, verdict brought a huge relief, joy and closure to a very painful saga in Ahmaud Arbery murder case. The verdict came a day before the second anniversary of Arbery's killing. Ahmaud Arbery's parents--Wanda Cooper Jones and Marcus Arbery--emerged from the federal court with their attorney Ben Crump to the cheers and applause of community activists and supporters. Cooper Jones exclaimed that her son would now "rest in power".
McMichaels Receive Life, Bryan Received 35 Years
A federal judge, U.S. District Judge Lisa Godbey Wood, on August 8, 2022 handed life imprisonment to Travis McMichael and Gregory McMichael, and sentenced William "Roddie" Bryan to 35-year imprisonment.
***************************** AHMAUD ARBERY *******************************
******************** MANUEL ELLIS' DEATH IN WASHINGTON *********************
Three Police Officers Plead not Guilty
Three Tacoma police officers on May 28, 2021 appeared in jail jumpsuit from Pierce County Jail virtually before Superior Court Judge Michael Schwartz and pleaded not guilty in the March 3, 2020, death of Manuel Ellis as he had been tasered, hogtied, handcuffed and covered with spit mask and had pleaded, according to witnesses, for air. On May 27, 2021, Washington State Attorney-General Bob Ferguson charged two White police officers--Christopher Burbank and Mathew Collins--on the second-degree murder count as witnesses had accused the both of attacking Manuel Ellis without provocation. Timothy Rankine, described as an Asian descent, was charged on the first-degree manslaughter. Rankine was seen pressing on Ellis' back as the African-American man was gasping for air. Special Assistant AG Patty Eakes, who is prosecuting the case on behalf of the state, has asked the judge for setting $1 million bail, which defense has disputed. Superior Court Judge Michael Schwartz set the bail at $100,000.
******************** MANUEL ELLIS' DEATH IN WASHINGTON *********************
******************** BREONNA TAYLOR KILLING IN LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY ******
No Police Officers Charged in Breonna Taylor’s Murder
A Grand Jury on September 23, 2020 returned a no-charge decision in the March 13, 2020, shooting death of Breonna Taylor. The only police officer charged in the events surrounding the March 13, 2020, death of Ms. Taylor is Brett Hankison, who has been indicted on three charges of “wanton endangerment”. On March 13, 2020, just after midnight, three Louisville, Kentucky narcotics detectives executed a no-knock search warrant at Ms. Taylor’s apartment where they had met with Ms. Breonna Taylor and her boyfriend, Kenny Walker, who had fired at one officer, Sgt. Jonathan Mattingly, who had just entered the apartment. Sgt. Jonathan Mattingly returned the fire as well as other two officers—Brett Hankison and Detective Myles Cosgrove—who had been just outside the door and opened several rounds of fire, killing Taylor. Brett Hankison shot several rounds into neighboring apartments, falling into the area of wanton endangerment. After almost six-month investigation, Kentucky Attorney-General Daniel Cameron submitted the investigation report to a Louisville grand jury on September 21, 2020. In an emotional press conference at the state capital, Frankfort, Kentucky’s first Black attorney-general made public the grand jury’s decision and, in a choked voice, acknowledged that, though painful to see this tragedy, the police officers were justified in in their action. The family’s lawyer Ben Crump expressed frustration over the grand jury’s decision not to charge any police officer directly tied to Breonna Taylor’s death. The so called “wanton endangerment” is related to Brett Hankinson’s random firing into neighbor’s apartment, not directly related to Breonna Taylor’s death. Within hours, protests, led by Black Lives Matter, erupted throughout major cities in the U.S., including Louisville, Chicago, New York City, Los Angeles and Dallas. In Louisville, a night curfew has been imposed to deter violence, and two police officers have been shot. National Guard troops have been deployed to maintain law and order. Brett Hankison was fired from the job in June 2020.
A Grand Jury on September 23, 2020 returned a no-charge decision in the March 13, 2020, shooting death of Breonna Taylor. The only police officer charged in the events surrounding the March 13, 2020, death of Ms. Taylor is Brett Hankison, who has been indicted on three charges of “wanton endangerment”. On March 13, 2020, just after midnight, three Louisville, Kentucky narcotics detectives executed a no-knock search warrant at Ms. Taylor’s apartment where they had met with Ms. Breonna Taylor and her boyfriend, Kenny Walker, who had fired at one officer, Sgt. Jonathan Mattingly, who had just entered the apartment. Sgt. Jonathan Mattingly returned the fire as well as other two officers—Brett Hankison and Detective Myles Cosgrove—who had been just outside the door and opened several rounds of fire, killing Taylor. Brett Hankison shot several rounds into neighboring apartments, falling into the area of wanton endangerment. After almost six-month investigation, Kentucky Attorney-General Daniel Cameron submitted the investigation report to a Louisville grand jury on September 21, 2020. In an emotional press conference at the state capital, Frankfort, Kentucky’s first Black attorney-general made public the grand jury’s decision and, in a choked voice, acknowledged that, though painful to see this tragedy, the police officers were justified in in their action. The family’s lawyer Ben Crump expressed frustration over the grand jury’s decision not to charge any police officer directly tied to Breonna Taylor’s death. The so called “wanton endangerment” is related to Brett Hankinson’s random firing into neighbor’s apartment, not directly related to Breonna Taylor’s death. Within hours, protests, led by Black Lives Matter, erupted throughout major cities in the U.S., including Louisville, Chicago, New York City, Los Angeles and Dallas. In Louisville, a night curfew has been imposed to deter violence, and two police officers have been shot. National Guard troops have been deployed to maintain law and order. Brett Hankison was fired from the job in June 2020.
*********** DOJ'S PRACTICE OR PATTERN INQUIRY
DOJ to Open Investigation into Louisville Police over Breonna Taylor's Death
In the second investigation into local law enforcement agencies' practices or patterns in five days, U.S. Department of Justice on April 26, 2021 launched an investigation into Louisville Metro Police Department and Louisville-Jefferson County Metro Government over the death of Breonna Taylor in March 2020. Breonna Taylor's family reached a $12 million in settlement with the city in September 2020. Last week, the U.S. DOJ launched a "pattern or practice inquiry" into any possible unlawful and unconstitutional policing by Minneapolis Police Department.
DOJ Finds Pattern of Bias
After almost two years of "Pattern or Practice Inquiry" into the law enforcement practices of the LMPD and Louisville-Jefferson County Metro Government, U.S. Department of Justice on March 8, 2023 issued its findings, calling the law enforcement treatment of the community amounting to a "pattern or practice of conduct that deprives people of their rights under the Constitution and federal law". The findings of the "Pattern or Practice Inquiry" were announced by Attorney-General Merrick Garland. Under a consent decree, a federal officer will oversee the department practices and report on progress. Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg said that the city "has wounds that are not yet healed".
*********** DOJ'S PRACTICE OR PATTERN INQUIRY
Hankinson Acquitted
A Louisville jury on March 3, 2022 acquitted former Louisville police officer Brett Hankison after a brief deliberation. The trial itself was short, and Mr. Hankison was not charged on Breonna Taylor's death. He was charged on "wanton endangerment" of a neighbor.
DOJ Files Civil Rights Charges against Four Louisville Police Officers
U.S. Department of Justice on August 4, 2022 indicted Former Officers Joshua Jaynes and Brett Hankinson along with two current police personnel--Kelly Goodlett and Sgt. Kyle Meany. Unveiling the charges against the four officers, out of whom only Brett Hankinson was present on the scene, Attorney General Merrick Garland said on August 4, 2022 that "Breonna Taylor should be alive today" if faulty warrants were not obtained. The three police personnel who were not on the scene helped obtain warrant to raid Breonna Taylor's apartment based on faulty information.
Goodlett to Plead Guilty
The Courier Journal reported on August 12, 2022 that Kelly Goodlett would appear before a federal judge on August 22, 2022 to plead guilty to Breonna Taylor's civil rights violation charges.
Mistrial Declared in Hankinson's Case
U.S. District Judge Rebecca Grady Jennings on November 16, 2023 declared mistrial after jury was badly deadlocked in the federal trial of Former Police Officer Brett Hankinson. Federal prosecutors have several options now: retry Hankinson or stop pursuing the federal civil rights case in the killing of Breonna Taylor.
******************** BREONNA TAYLOR KILLING IN LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY ******
************************************** GEORGE FLOYD **************************
Barbarism in Abundance in George Floyd's Chokehold Death
A video circulated hours after May 25, 2020, chokehold death of a Black Man in the South Side of Minneapolis pinned on the road by a White police officer's knee has sent a sense of shamefulness and embarrassment, to say the least, on how America treats its Black citizens. The African-American person, George Floyd, was apparently accused of giving a counterfeit check at a neighborhood grocery store on the Memorial Day evening. Things got unhinged since that point, and a White police officer then put his knee on Floyd's neck for five minutes. The video taken by a passer-by showed a groining George Floyd begging for his life and uttering: "I can't breathe". The video also captured by-standers pleading for the life of George Floyd. The following morning, May 26, 2020, Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo said at a press briefing at the City Hall that all four police officers present at the scene outside the neighborhood grocery store, Cup Food, were fired and the Minneapolis Police Department sought federal help in investigating into the killing of Floyd. Hundreds of demonstrators held protests on Minneapolis' streets and near police stations to decry the cold-blooded murder. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said that "being Black in America should not be a death sentence".
Police Station Set Ablaze
Demonstrations against police brutality continued for the third day on May 28, 2020, and spread to other cities. Few of the demonstrations are turning violent. A police station in Minneapolis was set ablaze during the day. Vandalism was rampant in several neighborhoods in the city, including a target store that was looted. All the public transportations in most parts of Minneapolis were suspended. Minnesota Governor Tim Walz called National Guards to quell violence.. Meanwhile, peaceful demonstrations spread to other cities. In Memphis, one police station was surrounded by demonstrators. In Los Angeles, one highway had been blocked by protesters.
White Police Officer Arrested; Violence Spreads to Atlanta
The White police officer, Derek Chauvin, seen on video kneeling on George Floyd's neck was arrested on May 29, 2020 on murder charges. Meanwhile, protesters in Minneapolis openly defied curfew set at 8:00PM. Sporadic violence was reported from different parts of the city. Many protesters faced off National Guards deployed on the Minneapolis' streets.
Tens of thousands of demonstrators participated in rallies organized during the day at cities like New York City, Houston, Atlanta, New Orleans and Dallas. The protest at Atlanta turned violent, with mobs breaking windows of CNN headquarters, setting ablaze a police vehicle and hurting police personnel with bottles.
Violence, Peaceful Protests Punctuate Sunday across America; Protests Go Global
Tens of thousands of peaceful citizens descended on the streets of America on May 31, 2020 in protest against police brutalities against Blacks. Demonstrators of varying backgrounds and race participated in mostly peaceful rallies in cities such as Boston, San Francisco, Dallas, Houston, New York City, Philadelphia and Minneapolis. Sporadic incidents of violence and looting were reported from some areas, but they had brought disproportionate degrees of taint onto otherwise peaceful demonstrations triggered by May 25, 2020, George Floyd's death in police custody. At least 5 people were killed in ensuing violence, and more than 4,100 people were arrested in one of the largest civil disobedience movement since the death of Martin Luther King II. Texas Governor during the day declared all Texas counties state of disaster allowing federal authorities to help quell violent protest while ensuring peaceful protest to let people's voices heard.
George Floyd's death in police custody stirred the conscience of America's allies, especially people of color. Thousands defied social distancing directive of British government to rally at London's Trafalgar Square, and demanded justice for Floyd. Scores of demonstrators protested against police brutality against Blacks in America near the U.S. Embassy in Berlin a night before.
Trump Taken to White House Bunker
In the most alarming security scenario since 9/11, President Donald Trump was taken to the White House bunker as demonstrators threw rocks and projectiles at the security cordon in front of the executive mansion on May 29, 2020 night, according to a report published by The Associated Press on May 31.
Trump Makes Inflammatory Comments, Takes a Photo-Op Walk; Bishop Slams Trump's Visit
At an idyllic Rose Garden press conference, President Donald Trump on June 1, 2020 panned the protests that had erupted since May 25, 2020, death of George Floyd in police custody and called himself as a law and order president. Trump has threatened to order military to bring peace to America's cities, without saying how or even knowing that military's job is not to police America's streets. What startled the nation during the day was a series of military vehicle drove on the Pennsylvania Avenue, and military police and law enforcement personnel used tear gas and other means against peaceful protesters at the Lafayette Park to clear the way for Donald Trump to walk with his official entourage to walk to St. John Episcopal Church, which had a fire damage a day ago in its basement during a protest in the capital, and pose for a photo-op with a bible on hand. Meanwhile, the bishop of Episcopal Church for D.C., Mariann Budde, slammed president's visit and the way peaceful protesters had been cleared by force to make way for the president to take a photo-op near the church. "I am outraged", Budde said.
25,000 Attend Houston Rally as Protests across America Remain by and large Peaceful
The protests that had erupted in the aftermath of May 25, 2020, death of George Floyd underneath a White police officer's oppressive knee and then, on few occasions, descended into chaos, vandalism and looting, attracting President Trump's condemnable behavior and verbal counter-attack against the very idea of the protest movement, returned to by and large to peaceful format on June 2, 2020. Crowds gathered near White House in the evening, defying the curfew. The protests in New York City remained peaceful after days of vandalism. The largest rally during the day was held in Floyd's hometown of Houston where Mayor Sylvester Turner had led a strong 25,000-crowd.
Charge Upgraded for Chauvin; Three Other Officers Charged; Mattis Blasts Trump
Appearing at a press conference at Minneapolis, Minnesota Attorney-General Keith Ellison said on June 3, 2020 that the charges against Derek Chauvin, the officer seen on video kneeling on George Floyd's neck for about nine minutes, would be upgraded to second-degree murder. Initially Dereck Chauvin had been charged for third-degree murder. Three other police officers--J. Kueng, Thomas Lane and Tou Thao--arrested without charges, leading to howls from protesters, family members of George Floyd and community activists, were also charged on June 3, 2020 on aiding and abetting the murder of Floyd. Upgrading the charge against Derek Chauvin from third-degree murder to second-degree unintentional murder, A.G. Keith Ellison said: "George Floyd mattered. He was loved, his family was important, his life had value, and we will seek justice for him".
Former Defense Secretary Jim Mattis issued a statement published by The Atlantic on June 3, 2020, blasting Trump for failing to unite the country and, to the contrary, working to divide the nation. Mattis even said that "we can unite without him". Mattis also criticized the use of non-lethal force such as tear gas by the Secret Service, National Guards and Park Police against peaceful protesters to make way for President Trump to walk across the White House to St. John Episcopal Church for a photo-ops with hand on bible. During that June 1, 2020, controversial, and highly shameful walk, Trump was joined by Defense Secretary Mark Esper and Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley. Jim Mattis also contradicted his successor's characterization of protest-filled U.S. cities as a "battlespace". However, on one aspect, Defense Secretary Mark Esper even opposed his own boss' threat that his administration would, if needed, send military to quell protest, saying at a Pentagon news conference that "I do not support invoking the Insurrection Act".
Unity, Determination Marks Floyd's Memorial Service
In the first of memorial services for George Floyd, community activists, celebrities, politicians and public officials participated in the private event on June 4, 2020 at North Central University in Minneapolis. Delivering a rousing eulogy, the Rev. Al Sharpton said that George Floyd had changed the world and urged the perpetrators to take their knees off the neck of Black Americans. However, he ended up his speech in a poignant silence that he had led for 8 minutes 46 seconds, the time Dereck Chauvin pinned Floyd into ground until he became motionless.
Funeral of Floyd, Partly Celebration of His Life, Partly a Rallying Cry against Social Injustice
What many political leaders and powerful public officeholders could not do, George Floyd had done it in his death: giving a massive impetus to the civil rights movement against social injustice, stirring movements against police brutality all over the world, and probably most significantly, transforming the Black Lives Matter into a powerful mainstream political movement. On June 8, 2020, George Floyd's body was put on an open casket for public viewing at a Houston church. Thousands of people had stood for hours under sweltering heat of Texas to pass by the casket and pay their tribute to Floyd, who grew up at a nearby housing project in the city's Third Ward.
On June 9, 2020, George Floyd was buried at a cemetery beside his mother's grave.
Chairman of JCS Regrets Walking with Trump
In a June 11, 2020, commencement address at the National Defense University, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley regretted walking with President Donald Trump across the Lafayette Park for the president to have a photo-op with his hands on bible in front of a church, where presidents had prayed for years, that had a damage in its basement from a fire during an anti-government demonstration. Referring to his infamous June 1, 2020, walk, Gen. Milley said: "I should not have been there".
Third-degree Murder Count Added as Jury Selection Moves on
After defendant Derek Chauvin's lawyers failed to get a favorable higher court ruling against an appeals court decision last week, Hennepin County Judge Peter Cahill on March 11, 2021 reinstated a third-degree murder charge against the Minneapolis police officer in George Floyd's May 25, 2020, death in police custody. Earlier, Judge Cahill dropped the third-degree murder charge, inviting criticism from Floyd's lawyers, families and prosecutors that the bar to convict Derek Chauvin, who had been seen in a widely circulated video of kneeling on George Floyd's neck, was made higher. Now with the addition of the third-degree murder charge to the existing counts of second-degree murder and manslaughter will add more teeth to prosecution's effort to convict Derek Chauvin. The day's third-degree murder reinstatement comes on the third day of jury selection in one of the most high profile cases in the country.
Floyd's Family Reaches a $27 million Settlement
As jury selection continued for the fourth straight day, Minneapolis City Council on March 12, 2021 reached a $27 million settlement with George Floyd's family, easily eclipsing the $20 million in settlement arrived two years ago between the family of a White woman, who had been shot dead by a Minneapolis police officer, and the city.
Judge Denies Defense Request to Delay, Move the Trial
After the Minneapolis City Council unanimously approved a record $27 million settlement with George Floyd's family on March 12, 2021, defense attorney Eric Nelson asked the presiding judge to delay the trial and also to move the trial because of the possibility of a tainted jury in the backdrop of the settlement announcement. Hennepin County Judge Peter Cahill on March 19, 2021 denied the defense petition on both fronts. But, in a limited victory to the defense team of Derek Chauvin, the judge agreed to admit parts of 2019 arrest of George Floyd as evidence during Chauvin's trial.
Chauvin Convicted on All Three Charges
After a swift, public hearing that had lasted a little over three or so weeks and brought nation's attention to Hennepin County courthouse, jurors on April 20, 2021 returned their verdict. And it was a clear relief to George Floyd's family, criminal justice reforms advocates and state of Minnesota. The White police officer, Derek Chauvin, who had pinned George Floyd's neck to the ground for about 9 minutes and 30 seconds, had been found guilty on all three counts: second-degree manslaughter, second-degree unintentional murder and third-degree murder. As Hennepin County Judge Peter Cahill read the verdict, Derek Chauvin, a face mask on his face, looked stoic and didn't show much reaction. His bail was revoked, hands cuffed behind the back and escorted out through a back door by a Hennepin County Sheriff's deputy. The jury of six White and six Black or multiracial people arrived at the verdict after a 10-hour deliberation over two days (April 19-20, 2021).
Jurors heard 14 days of testimony from 44 witnesses. The trial began March 8, 2021 with jury selection. George Floyd's younger brother, Philonise Floyd, was a constant presence during the trial. Floyd family lawyer, Benjamin Crump, issued a statement after the verdict, calling it as "painfully earned justice".
DOJ to Launch “Pattern” Inquiry; Policing Overhaul Chance Gets Boost in Congress
A day after Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was convicted on all three counts in the death of George Floyd, U.S. Attorney-General Merrick Garland on April 21, 2021 announced that his department would launch a “pattern or practice” inquiry focused on the entire Minneapolis police department to assess, among others, the systemic bias, accountability, police de-escalation techniques, unlawful or unconstitutional policing and protection of rights for the community members. Attorney-General Merrick Garland, announcing the launch of inquiry, said that “accountability is an essential part in building trust”. Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo welcomed the DOJ investigation and so were Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and Minneapolis City Council.
During Obama administration, “pattern or practice” inquiries were linchpin to force changes in local police departments. U.S. Justice Department, under Obama administration, successfully sued the Baltimore, Chicago and Ferguson police departments for tragic deaths of African Americans at the hands of local police personnel. Obama administration was successful to extract the so called “consent decrees” as part of the settlement with local police departments.
Meanwhile, the momentum is growing in Congress for a police reform bill to pass after President Joe Biden prodded the Congress to do so during an April 20, 2021, nationally televised address to mark the historic verdict to convict the Former Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin in all three counts. House of Representatives twice passed a sweeping policing overhaul bill, George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, that would allow the police officers to be sued and awards for the harm for abusing people’s constitutional rights. Republican Senator Tim Scott is in the middle of an intense discussion over the past two months with Democrats for the Senate version of a separate bill that does not go as far as Democratic measure in the House goes. The proposed Senate version, Justice Act, will require compliance with respect to use-of-force reports to be filed with a national database as well as compliance with appropriate reporting for no-knock warrants.
Federal Indictments against Four Minneapolis Police Officers in George Floyd Case
A federal grand jury on May 7, 2021 indicted four Minneapolis police officers--Derek Chauvin, Thomas Lane, J. Kueng and Tou Thao--on three counts of federal charges. Chauvin has already been convicted in state charges and his lawyer, Eric Nelson, has asked for a retrial. The other three officers will go to trial beginning August 23, 2021. The federal indictment reflects Biden administration's determination to ramp up DOJ's civil rights division's oversight activities and monitoring more attentively the mistreatments of African Americans at the hands of law enforcement agencies. However, the federal statute, Statute 242, under which indictments have been brought against the four police officers is rarely applied and hard to prove. Department of Justice has broken down the three counts of federal indictments:
(1) Count 1 [against Chauvin]: Failure to let Floyd free from unreasonable seizure and unreasonable force by a police officer
(2) Count 2 [against Thao and Kueng]: Failure to let Floyd free from unreasonable seizure by not intervening to stop Derek Chauvin from continuing to pin down on George Floyd's neck for 9-and-half minutes
(3) Count 3 [against Lane, Thao, Kueng and Chauvin]: Failure to provide medical care to George Floyd
Chauvin
Receives 22-and-half Years
The
disgraced Minneapolis Police Officer Dereck Chauvin, whose knee-suppression
of George Floyd’s neck for nine-and-half minutes led to international
outcries and nationwide tumult against police brutality against Black people,
on June 25, 2021 was sentenced to 22-and-half years of imprisonment, one
of the longest given to law enforcement personnel. There is a separate federal
suit still pending against Officer Chauvin.
Bipartisan
Police Reform Deal Reached
In
the state that has earned international notoriety because of George Floyd’s
death in police custody, Republican-dominated Senate and Democratic-led House reached
a bipartisan agreement for policing reforms on late June 26, 2021. The
compromise measure that falls short of what Civil Rights groups have bargained
for includes measures to restrict the no-knock warrant practice, establish a
police mis-conduct database, create an office of missing and murdered
indigenous relatives and form a task force dedicated to missing and murdered
Black women. Democratic House Speaker Melissa Hortman said of the
compromise, “it doesn’t include some of the important police reform and
accountability measures pushed by the House, but it is a step forward in
delivering true public safety and justice for all Minnesotans despite divided
government”. Minnesota Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka, a
Republican, touted $2 million allocated to rein in the violent crimes.
Chauvin Pleads Guilty to Federal Charge
Derek Chauvin on December 15, 2021 appeared at the court of U.S. District Judge Paul Magnuson and pleaded guilty to one count of violating the civil rights of George Floyd. Additionally, Chauvin pleaded guilty to a separate 2017 case.
Three Police Officers Convicted on Floyd's Rights Violation
After a month-long trial, the federal jury convicted three Minneapolis police officers on George Floyd's civil rights violation. The verdict on February 24, 2022 came from an all-White jury in the federal courthouse of St. Paul. The counts charge Officer J. Kueng, Officer Thomas Lane and Officer Tou Thao on failing to provide support to George Floyd as he remained lay underpinned by the knee of Officer Derek Chauvin for 9-and-1/2 minutes and gasped for air.
Racist Culture Prevalent in Minneapolis Police Department, Report Says
A report by the Minnesota Department of Human Rights issued on April 27, 2022 spotlights on the discriminatory practices by the Minneapolis Police Department, including higher rates of traffic stops involving Black drivers, disproportionate degree of force against people of color and racist languages often used by the police officers. The investigation was launched after the killing of George Floyd at the hands of a White police officer that had stirred the conscience of the nation and led to racial reckoning. After almost two years of investigation, the report concluded that there were "significant racial disparities with respect to officers' use of force, traffic stops, searches, citations, and arrests". Human Rights Commissioner Rebecca Lucero said during the day that the report would lead to a court-enforceable "consent decree" that would be the guiding principle for smoothly running the department.
Judge Accepts Chauvin's Guilty Plea
U.S. District Judge Paul Magnuson on May 4, 2022 accepted the guilty plea by Derek Chauvin. Chauvin pleaded guilty on December 15, 2021 in the federal civil rights trial that would hand down a sentence of, most likely, about 10 years of concurrent prison time. Chauvin had been handed 22-and-1/2 years of imprisonment in the state criminal charges.
Minneapolis Police Now under "Consent Decree"
The Dallas Morning News reported on May 24, 2022 that the Minneapolis Police Department, which came under a scathing rebuke from the Minnesota Department of Human Rights for disproportionate degree of force against members from the communities of color, racist slurs used by its personnel and carrying out a policy of car stops that targeted Black motorists, would be monitored as part of U.S. Justice Department's court-supervised "consent degree" to restore the best law enforcement practices.
Police Officer Sent to Two-and-half Years in Prison
A federal judge in Minnesota, U.S. District Court Judge Paul Magnuson, on July 21, 2022 sent Police Officer Thomas Lane to a two-and-half-year term.
Officer Kueng Sentenced to 3-and-half Years behind Bars
Fired Minneapolis Police Officer J. Alexander Kueng, who in October 2022 had pleaded guilty to second-degree manslaughter charges of aiding and abetting the death of George Floyd by retraining his back in exchange for the state dropping more serious charges related to murder, was on December 9, 2022 sentenced to three-and-half years of imprisonment. Kueng is already sentenced to federal prison for violating George Floyd's civil rights. Kueng, who is serving time for federal charges at an Ohio federal penitentiary, has appeared via video and declined to address the court after given a chance. Family of George Floyd also let the opportunity go on the victim impact statement. Kueng will serve both the state and federal sentences concurrently.
Court-enforced Settlement Agreement Signed
Minneapolis City Council on March 31, 2023 voted 11-0 to approve the "court-ordered settlement agreement". After the city council approved the agreement, Mayor Jacob Frey and Minnesota Human Rights Commissioner Rebecca Lucero signed it on March 31, 2023.
Officer Tou Thao Found Guilty
The last of four police officers in the George Floyd murder case was found guilty on abetting and aiding manslaughter, according to a verdict by Hennepin County Judge Peter Cahill released on May 2, 2023. Tou Thao controlled the crowd on May 25, 2020 as Officer Derek Chauvin pinned his knee on George Floyd's neck for 9-and-1/2 minutes as Floyd begged for his life. While the other two police officers--Thomas Lane and J. Alexander Kueng--pleaded guilty to state charges, Tou Thao remained steadfast to his "not guilty" stand, and allowed the state judge to rule based on the evidence that the judge had seen sin this case as well as filings from the both sides. Judge Peter Cahill filed his 177-page verdict on late May 1, 2023, and it was released on May 2, 2023. The punishment hearing will be held on August 7, 2023 for Officer Tou Thao, who is serving a three-and-half-year term in federal prison. With the verdict, a painful of saga of America's racial reckoning is coming to an end.
MPD Abused Authority against People of Color, Justice Report Says
After months of investigation and interviews since the formal federal inquiry was launched in April 2021, DOJ on June 16, 2023 issued a 92-page report that blasted the Minneapolis Police Department's patterns and practices in dealing with people of color, people with behavioral problems and Native Americans. The report looked at instances involving "use of force", including deadly force and neck restraints, between 2016 and August 2022, and found numerous instances of unnecessary "use of force" cases. The report outlined 28 remedial steps. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey called for a single monitor to oversee both state and federal compliance instead of two different monitors as that [having a pair of monitors] would complicate, and most likely, delay the process.
Officer Thao Sentenced to 57 months of State Imprisonment
Tou Thao on August 7, 2023 received a 57-month imprisonment in the state charges. He will serve concurrently with the three-and-half-year federal sentence. Tou didn't apologize for his action on the day George Floyd had been murdered. Hennepin County Judge Peter Cahill said, in reference to the absence of any remorse or apology, that "I was hoping for a little more remorse". Tou is the last of the officers sentenced in the May 2020 George Floyd murder that has triggered racial reckoning protests throughout the globe.
************************************** GEORGE FLOYD **************************
***************************** RAYSHARD BROOKS *******************************
African-American Shot Dead again by Police, This Time in Atlanta
As if the nationwide moral anger stemming from 8 minutes and 46 seconds of brutal slow motion death of a Black male under the oppressive knee of a White Minneapolis police officer was not enough, there was another killing of African American man at the hands of a White police officer that had added fuel to this razing fire. On June 12, 2020, Rayshard Brooks failed the field sobriety test at an Atlanta Wendy's parking lot, leading to jostling between a police officer and Brooks who had snatched the Taser from the officer, but was trying to flee the scene. At that point, the White police officer, , opened the fire, leading to Brooks' death. Hours after June 12, 2020, night death of Rayshard Brooks, about 150 people demonstrated on June 13, 2020 at the Wendy's. At a news conference on June 13, 2020, Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms demanded that the officer, who had opened fire on Brooks, resign or be terminated immediately. There were two officers who had attended a call that alleged that a man had fallen asleep in his car, blocking a drive-in lane of the Wendy's. On June 13, 2020, Atlanta Police Chief Erika Shields resigned over the shooting as Georgia Bureau of Investigation took over the investigation into killing death of Rayshard Brooks. About 150 demonstrators gathered at the Wendy's parking lot at Atlanta, decrying the shooting death of Brooks. It was clear that although Brooks might have grabbed the Taser from one of the two officers, he started to run away from scene and there was no justification to open fire on him.
Officer Fired; Video of Shooting Released
On June 14, 2020, video footage from two officers' body-cam and police vehicles' dash-cam had been released. The video shows a regular sobriety test on June 12, 2020 going awry as officers tried to handcuff Rayshard Brooks. Brooks snatched Taser from Officer Devin Brosnan and was seen on the video running away. However, none of the two body-cam and two dash-cam cameras captured the shooting. It was captured by Wendy's security camera that showed Officer Garrett Rolfe firing three shots, mortally wounding Rayshard Brooks, 27. The killing of Rayshard Brooks triggered a fiery protest, resulting in gutting down the Wendy's on June 13, 2020 night. Authorities offered $10,000 reward for capturing the culprits behind burning down the Wendy's.
Officer Garrett Rolfe, working since October 2013, was fired from the Atlanta police department while the second police officer, Devin Brosnan, working for Atlanta Police Department since September 2018, was placed on administrative role, according to reports on June 14, 2020.
Officer Faces Murder Charge
Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard on June 17, 2020 charged a White police officer, Garrett Rolfe, who had opened fire on and killed a fleeing Black person, Rayshard Brooks, 27, at a Wendy's parking lot in Atlanta on felony murder and aggravated assault, saying that the outcome could have been totally avoidable. Brooks was fired on the back. According to DA Howard's charges on June 17, 2020, both Officers Garrett Rolfe and Devin Brosnan didn't seek immediate medical care for Rayshard Brooks. Instead, Officer Garrett Rolfe, who had been fired from the Atlanta Police Department within 24 hours of the shooting, kicked the motionless body of Brooks while Brosnan stood on the shoulder of Brooks. Officer Devin Brosnan became a witness in the inquiry, and he had been charged with lesser aggravated assault count.
African-American Shot Dead again by Police, This Time in Atlanta
As if the nationwide moral anger stemming from 8 minutes and 46 seconds of brutal slow motion death of a Black male under the oppressive knee of a White Minneapolis police officer was not enough, there was another killing of African American man at the hands of a White police officer that had added fuel to this razing fire. On June 12, 2020, Rayshard Brooks failed the field sobriety test at an Atlanta Wendy's parking lot, leading to jostling between a police officer and Brooks who had snatched the Taser from the officer, but was trying to flee the scene. At that point, the White police officer, , opened the fire, leading to Brooks' death. Hours after June 12, 2020, night death of Rayshard Brooks, about 150 people demonstrated on June 13, 2020 at the Wendy's. At a news conference on June 13, 2020, Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms demanded that the officer, who had opened fire on Brooks, resign or be terminated immediately. There were two officers who had attended a call that alleged that a man had fallen asleep in his car, blocking a drive-in lane of the Wendy's. On June 13, 2020, Atlanta Police Chief Erika Shields resigned over the shooting as Georgia Bureau of Investigation took over the investigation into killing death of Rayshard Brooks. About 150 demonstrators gathered at the Wendy's parking lot at Atlanta, decrying the shooting death of Brooks. It was clear that although Brooks might have grabbed the Taser from one of the two officers, he started to run away from scene and there was no justification to open fire on him.
Officer Fired; Video of Shooting Released
On June 14, 2020, video footage from two officers' body-cam and police vehicles' dash-cam had been released. The video shows a regular sobriety test on June 12, 2020 going awry as officers tried to handcuff Rayshard Brooks. Brooks snatched Taser from Officer Devin Brosnan and was seen on the video running away. However, none of the two body-cam and two dash-cam cameras captured the shooting. It was captured by Wendy's security camera that showed Officer Garrett Rolfe firing three shots, mortally wounding Rayshard Brooks, 27. The killing of Rayshard Brooks triggered a fiery protest, resulting in gutting down the Wendy's on June 13, 2020 night. Authorities offered $10,000 reward for capturing the culprits behind burning down the Wendy's.
Officer Garrett Rolfe, working since October 2013, was fired from the Atlanta police department while the second police officer, Devin Brosnan, working for Atlanta Police Department since September 2018, was placed on administrative role, according to reports on June 14, 2020.
Officer Faces Murder Charge
Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard on June 17, 2020 charged a White police officer, Garrett Rolfe, who had opened fire on and killed a fleeing Black person, Rayshard Brooks, 27, at a Wendy's parking lot in Atlanta on felony murder and aggravated assault, saying that the outcome could have been totally avoidable. Brooks was fired on the back. According to DA Howard's charges on June 17, 2020, both Officers Garrett Rolfe and Devin Brosnan didn't seek immediate medical care for Rayshard Brooks. Instead, Officer Garrett Rolfe, who had been fired from the Atlanta Police Department within 24 hours of the shooting, kicked the motionless body of Brooks while Brosnan stood on the shoulder of Brooks. Officer Devin Brosnan became a witness in the inquiry, and he had been charged with lesser aggravated assault count.
***************************** RAYSHARD BROOKS *******************************
************************* DAUNTE WRIGHT OF MINNESOTA ************************
In the Midst of Floyd Murder Trial, Another African American Killed by a Police Officer
As the state is riveted onto a painful saga of public hearings at the trial for White police officer Derek Chauvin in the death of George Floyd, another tragic killing of a 20-year-old African American happened on April 11, 2021 just miles away from the place where Floyd had been pinned down on the ground for about 9 minutes and 30 seconds by Chauvin's knee. Daunte Wright was pulled over by the police of Brooklyn Center, a suburb about 20 miles north of Minneapolis, for expired registration tags on the car. There were about three police officers at the spot and when Wright was told that he had an outstanding warrant and he was being cuffed for that, jostling had begun and a female police officer intended to tase Wright, but ended up shooting from her pistol. Wright drove away with his girlfriend, but soon his car crashed and he was dead. As soon as the news of Duante Wright's death at the hand of Brooklyn Center's police officer spread, a large crowd assembled and protested. Looting and vandalism were reported in Brooklyn Center. On April 12, 2021, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz ordered the deployment of Minnesota National Guards to ramp up the security. Locally a night curfew was imposed, but large groups of protesters continued to protest for the second straight night.
Minnesota Police Officer Charged
Three days after opening fire, intended to be a taser deployment, by a White police officer that had killed a 20-year-old African American, Daunte Wright, authorities on April 14, 2021 charged the former Brooklyn Center police officer Kim Potter on second-degree manslaughter. Washington County Assistant Criminal Division Chief Imran Ali, unveiling the charges, said that "certain professions carry an immense responsibility, and none more so than a sworn police officer". In Minnesota, "culpable negligence" can be brought under the purview of second-degree manslaughter. A day earlier, April 13, 2021, Kim Potter and the Brooklyn Center police chief, Tim Gannon, resigned a day after the City Council had voted to fire the City Manager. Brooklyn Center Mayor Mike Elliott said on April 13, 2021 that he was moving to fire Potter when she resigned.
Former Brooklyn Center Police Officer Convicted in Daunte Wright Murder
After deliberating more than 27 hours over four days, a mostly White jury on December 23, 2021 convicted Kim Potter on first- and second-degree manslaughter charges. Judge Regina Chu ordered former Brooklyn Center police officer arrested and taken to custody with handcuffs.
Former Officer Kim Potter Given Two Years
Parents of Daunte Wright, Aubrey Wright and Katie Wright, didn't hide their frustration and anger over Kim Potter receiving only two years in prison term. On February 18, 2022, Judge Regina Chu handed down the sentence. Katie Wright retorted that the "justice system murdered" her son "all over again".
City, Wright Family Reach $3.2 million in Settlement
The Minneapolis suburb of Brooklyn Center on June 22, 2022 reached a $3.2 million settlement with Daunte Wright family that included reforms to police training and enforcement tactics.
************************* DAUNTE WRIGHT OF MINNESOTA ************************
*********************** ANDREW BROWN OF NORTH CAROLINA *******************
Family Calls the Killing of Andrew Brown an "Execution"Family members and lawyers on April 26, 2021 watched the 20-second video of confrontation involving an African American and deputies in Elizabeth City, North Carolina. The April 21, 2021, incident happened as law enforcement personnel opened fire on Andrew Brown as he was backing out of the driveway with his hands on the steering wheel. Andrew Brown Jr. was shot on the back of his head, according to the family attorney, Chantel Cherry-Lassiter, who had watched the 20-second bodycam footage along with the family members. Several officers in plainclothes and tactical gear had drawn guns, according to the family members and attorneys. The police officers were serving drug-related search-and-arrest warrants. Family's attorneys have also criticized the way that Pasquotank County Attorney R. Michael Cox is treating the case.
FBI Launches Investigation into Brown's Death
Federal Bureau of Investigation on April 27, 2021 launched an investigation into the killing of Andrew Brown Jr. Meanwhile, his family made public an independent autopsy report that showed four shots were fired on the right arm and a fifth on the back of Brown's head. The official autopsy report is yet to be made public. North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper called for an independent investigator to probe the death of Brown.
Judge Blocks the Public Release of the Videos
A North Carolina Judge, Judge Jeffery Foster, ordered on April 28, 2021 to share recordings from all five video cameras, including one from the dashcam, with the Andrew Brown Jr.'s family within 10 days, but blocked its public release for 30 days in order to not jeopardize the ongoing investigation. Andrew Brown's family lawyers issued a statement later, decrying the judge's ruling.
Calls for Justice Reverberate in Funeral Speeches
A funeral was held at a church in Elizabeth City, North Carolina, on May 3, 2021 for Andrew Brown Jr. where speaker after speaker called for justice and release of full video of the April 21, 2021, shooting incident. Civil Rights leader Al Sharpton called the decision of not releasing the full video a "con" job. Attorney Ben Crump, who is representing the family, has called for "plea for justice" as "Andrew cannot make the plea for justice".
No Charges to be Filed against Sheriff's Deputies, District-Attorney Announces
In what's in the words of the African American man's family "an insult and slap in the face", Pasquotank County District-Attorney Andrew Womble on May 18, 2021 said that there would not be any charge filed against the six sheriff's deputies who had gone to arrest Andrew Brown Jr. in his Elizabeth City home on April 21, 2021 on drug-related charges. According to Womble, Brown used his vehicle as a "weapon" and was backing up dangerously despite clear and loud order from the deputies to stop and raise his hands, justifying the shooting.
*********************** ANDREW BROWN OF NORTH CAROLINA *******************
************************** JACOB BLAKE OF WISCONSIN **************************
An African-American Young Male Shot in the Back
An African-American young man was shot in the back as Jacob Blake was leaning on his SUV inside which his three children were seated. The exact circumstances surrounding the August 23, 2020, shooting by police in the former automobile heartland of Kenosha were not known, although a widely circulated video taken by Raysean White, 22, showed Blake not to be aggressive. Jacob Blake was seriously injured and hospitalized in serious situation. On August 24, 2020, anticipating a second night of violence, county officials announced a 8PM curfew and Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers called for 125 members of National Guards.
Wisconsin Man Paralyzed after being Shot Seven Times on the Back
Jacob Blake's father, who shares the same name, in an emotional voice has said on August 25, 2020 that the police who has shot seven times on the back of Blake Jr. has treated him like his "life doesn't matter". The August 23, 2020, incident in Kenosha evoked outrage almost three months after the nation had erupted in spontaneous protest after George Floyd's killing at the hand of a White police officer. A widely circulated video showed that a White police officer going after Jacob Blake as the 29-yer-old Black man was going around the front of his car and, as he leaned on the SUV to open the driver's door, the police officer opened fire and Blake was shot seven times on the back as his three children seated in the car looked on. On August 25, 2020, the family's attorney, Ben Crump, addressing a press conference, said that Jacob Blake had been paralyzed and it would take a "miracle" for him to walk again. Crump also said that one of his three children had birthday on August 23. Meanwhile, Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers doubled the National Guards deployment from 125 to 250, and also announced a state of emergency in Kenosha. Previous night, August 24, 2020 night, a wave of violence, including burning, looting and fist-fighting gripped the southeastern Wisconsin town.
NBA Playoffs Postponed in Protest against Police Brutality
NBA players have taken a courageous stand to protest against systemic racial injustice and tragic deaths of Blacks in the hand of nation's law enforcement agencies. On August 26, 2020, three days after Jacob Blake had been shot seven times as he was leaning into his SUV at Kenosha, Wisconsin, paralyzing him, most likely forever, NBA players had decided not to play. On August 26, 2020, three games were postponed: Milwaukee-Orlando; Oklahoma-Houston; and Portland-Lakers. Out of eight playoffs, only three have concluded, all in the Eastern Conference.
************* KYLE RITTENHOUSE
White Teen Arrested in Kenosha Shooting
A White teen, Kyle Rittenhouse, was seen on video on August 25, 2020 night of opening fire on protesters in Kenosha, third night of protest against the August 23, 2020, shooting of Jacob Blake, 29. The shooting by Rittenhouse killed two protesters and seriously wounded a third one. What's shocking was that Kyle Rittenhouse was allowed to walk with his semiautomatic weapon on hand to his car and drive away. Kyle Rittenhouse was arrested on August 26, 2020 in Antioch, Illinois, 15 miles from Kenosha. Meanwhile, Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers authorized deployment of up to 500 National Guards troops, doubling the current level, and local authorities brought the curfew time to an hour earlier to 7PM to begin with.
An African-American young man was shot in the back as Jacob Blake was leaning on his SUV inside which his three children were seated. The exact circumstances surrounding the August 23, 2020, shooting by police in the former automobile heartland of Kenosha were not known, although a widely circulated video taken by Raysean White, 22, showed Blake not to be aggressive. Jacob Blake was seriously injured and hospitalized in serious situation. On August 24, 2020, anticipating a second night of violence, county officials announced a 8PM curfew and Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers called for 125 members of National Guards.
Wisconsin Man Paralyzed after being Shot Seven Times on the Back
Jacob Blake's father, who shares the same name, in an emotional voice has said on August 25, 2020 that the police who has shot seven times on the back of Blake Jr. has treated him like his "life doesn't matter". The August 23, 2020, incident in Kenosha evoked outrage almost three months after the nation had erupted in spontaneous protest after George Floyd's killing at the hand of a White police officer. A widely circulated video showed that a White police officer going after Jacob Blake as the 29-yer-old Black man was going around the front of his car and, as he leaned on the SUV to open the driver's door, the police officer opened fire and Blake was shot seven times on the back as his three children seated in the car looked on. On August 25, 2020, the family's attorney, Ben Crump, addressing a press conference, said that Jacob Blake had been paralyzed and it would take a "miracle" for him to walk again. Crump also said that one of his three children had birthday on August 23. Meanwhile, Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers doubled the National Guards deployment from 125 to 250, and also announced a state of emergency in Kenosha. Previous night, August 24, 2020 night, a wave of violence, including burning, looting and fist-fighting gripped the southeastern Wisconsin town.
NBA Playoffs Postponed in Protest against Police Brutality
NBA players have taken a courageous stand to protest against systemic racial injustice and tragic deaths of Blacks in the hand of nation's law enforcement agencies. On August 26, 2020, three days after Jacob Blake had been shot seven times as he was leaning into his SUV at Kenosha, Wisconsin, paralyzing him, most likely forever, NBA players had decided not to play. On August 26, 2020, three games were postponed: Milwaukee-Orlando; Oklahoma-Houston; and Portland-Lakers. Out of eight playoffs, only three have concluded, all in the Eastern Conference.
************* KYLE RITTENHOUSE
White Teen Arrested in Kenosha Shooting
A White teen, Kyle Rittenhouse, was seen on video on August 25, 2020 night of opening fire on protesters in Kenosha, third night of protest against the August 23, 2020, shooting of Jacob Blake, 29. The shooting by Rittenhouse killed two protesters and seriously wounded a third one. What's shocking was that Kyle Rittenhouse was allowed to walk with his semiautomatic weapon on hand to his car and drive away. Kyle Rittenhouse was arrested on August 26, 2020 in Antioch, Illinois, 15 miles from Kenosha. Meanwhile, Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers authorized deployment of up to 500 National Guards troops, doubling the current level, and local authorities brought the curfew time to an hour earlier to 7PM to begin with.
Nation's Eyes upon the Rittenhouse Trial
Prosecution team on November 9, 2021 ended its 5 and 1/2 days of testimonials in the trial of Kyle Rittenhouse charged with killing two protesters--Joseph Rosenbaum and Anthony Huber--and wounding a volunteer medic, Gaige Grosskreutz. All three were protesting the police shooting of Jacob Blake. Although Rittenhouse was captured on the video footage that he was the gunman, the key to the defense team was to portray the then-17-year-old former youth police cadet as a kid who went to Kenosha on his own to maintain law on the streets and protect properties, but got scared by aggressive protesters that had led him to open fire in self-defense. Prosecution testimonies, many legal observers believe, have helped Rittenhouse's defense instead of buttressing the prosecution case.
Rittenhouse Trial Thrown into Chaos after Aggressive Questioning by Chief Prosecutor
It was a high-drama day on November 10, 2021 as the defense summoned Kyle Rittenhouse to the witness stand, a high-stake gamble. Under cross-examination, Rittenhouse broke down in uncontrollable sobs and tears, leading the Circuit Judge Bruce Schroeder to admonish the chief prosecutor, Thomas Binger, that "I don't believe" that "you were acting in good faith". Defense lawyer Mark Richards immediately requested for a mistrial with prejudice. Although Judge Schroeder has not ruled on the defense request, a declaration of mistrial with prejudice will lead Rittenhouse to go free and can not be tried in future. The jury was escorted out as the dramatic scene had unfurled in the Kenosha courtroom.
Defense Rests Its Argument
On the day 9 of the trial, defense lawyers have concluded their testimonies. The last witness to take a stand on November 11, 2021 was a use-of-force expert, John Black, who testified for the defense.
Governor Activates National Guards as Jury Set to Begin Deliberations
Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers on November 12, 2021 said that about 500 Nationals Guards troops would be ready to deploy if local authorities in Kenosha needed them. Meanwhile, Circuit Judge Bruce Schroeder told the jurors that they could convict Kyle Rittenhouse on less charges. Jurors will begin deliberations on November 15, 2021.
Closing Arguments Made by Both Sides
Prosecution and Defense teams have made closing arguments on November 15, 2021.
Rittenhouse Acquitted on All Charges
After three full days of deliberations, Kenosha jury on November 19, 2021 found Kyle Rittenhouse not guilty on any of the five counts. The verdict enlarged the racial and political schism, with the conservatives saying that the verdict was an affirmation of right to self-defense and protect property while the liberals calling the verdict as a beginning of a new, sordid chapter for reopening the country's racial wound and right-wing vigilantism. Rittenhouse was acquitted on all five counts.
************* KYLE RITTENHOUSE
Relative Calm Returns to Kenosha
After three nights of violence, protesters on August 26, 2020 night marched peacefully in Kenosha and the Sheriff David Beth and Kenosha Police Chief Dan Biskins on August 27, 2020 faced call for resignation from ACLU.
Peaceful Demonstration Held; Speakers Urge to Vote in November
Almost a week after a White police officer, Rusten Sheskey, shot Jacob Blake seven times as the 29-year-old African American man leaned on his SUV, about 1,000 protesters attended a rally at the Kenosha County Courthouse on August 29, 2020. Speaker after speaker demanded that Rusten Sheskey be arrested and two other police officers--all three had responded to a disturbance call that fateful Sunday (August 23, 2020), leading to the encounter--be fired. They have also urged people to vote in November in the name of justice for Jacob Blake, who has been paralyzed waist down and is now recuperating in a Milwaukee hospital.
Despite Request to Postpone, President Trump Visits Kenosha
As if there is not enough provocation in Kenosha, President Trump on September 1, 2020 further escalated tension by visiting Kenosha where a Black man had been shot seven times on August 23, 2020 and left paralyzed waist down. Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers requested Trump not to take a visit at this moment, but the president didn't heed and went ahead with his visit only to be greeted by competing demonstrations of his backers and protesters. In Kenosha, President Donald trump didn't visit Jacob Blake's family, sided strongly with police and warned against Biden's election as that would foment further violence.
Biden's Kenosha Visit Contrasts that of Trump
In what could be billed as the starkest difference between the two men's approach to shooting of a Black man by a White police officer, former Vice President Joe Biden on September 3, 2020 acted as a uniter and compassion-in-chief as he visited Kenosha where Jacob Blake had been shot seven times by a White police officer, Rusten Sheskey, on August 23, 2020. Biden met Jacob Flake's family at the Milwaukee airport, and met with the community leaders at Kenosha's Grace Lutheran Church. Biden also spoke with Jacob Blake over phone. Blake, partially paralyzed, is recovering at a hospital in Milwaukee. Biden blasted Trump, who failed to see or talk to Blake family.
Relative Calm Returns to Kenosha
After three nights of violence, protesters on August 26, 2020 night marched peacefully in Kenosha and the Sheriff David Beth and Kenosha Police Chief Dan Biskins on August 27, 2020 faced call for resignation from ACLU.
Peaceful Demonstration Held; Speakers Urge to Vote in November
Almost a week after a White police officer, Rusten Sheskey, shot Jacob Blake seven times as the 29-year-old African American man leaned on his SUV, about 1,000 protesters attended a rally at the Kenosha County Courthouse on August 29, 2020. Speaker after speaker demanded that Rusten Sheskey be arrested and two other police officers--all three had responded to a disturbance call that fateful Sunday (August 23, 2020), leading to the encounter--be fired. They have also urged people to vote in November in the name of justice for Jacob Blake, who has been paralyzed waist down and is now recuperating in a Milwaukee hospital.
Despite Request to Postpone, President Trump Visits Kenosha
As if there is not enough provocation in Kenosha, President Trump on September 1, 2020 further escalated tension by visiting Kenosha where a Black man had been shot seven times on August 23, 2020 and left paralyzed waist down. Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers requested Trump not to take a visit at this moment, but the president didn't heed and went ahead with his visit only to be greeted by competing demonstrations of his backers and protesters. In Kenosha, President Donald trump didn't visit Jacob Blake's family, sided strongly with police and warned against Biden's election as that would foment further violence.
Biden's Kenosha Visit Contrasts that of Trump
In what could be billed as the starkest difference between the two men's approach to shooting of a Black man by a White police officer, former Vice President Joe Biden on September 3, 2020 acted as a uniter and compassion-in-chief as he visited Kenosha where Jacob Blake had been shot seven times by a White police officer, Rusten Sheskey, on August 23, 2020. Biden met Jacob Flake's family at the Milwaukee airport, and met with the community leaders at Kenosha's Grace Lutheran Church. Biden also spoke with Jacob Blake over phone. Blake, partially paralyzed, is recovering at a hospital in Milwaukee. Biden blasted Trump, who failed to see or talk to Blake family.
No Charges Filed against Police Officers
Kenosha County District Attorney Michael Graveley on January 5, 2021 decided not to press charges against police officers involved in August 23, 2020, shooting against Jacob Blake who had been left paralyzed.
************************** JACOB BLAKE OF WISCONSIN **************************
****************** OHIO SHOOTING DEATH OF CASEY GOODSON JR. ***************
Sheriff's Deputy Indicted on Murder Charges
A now-retired Ohio Sheriff's deputy was indicted on December 2, 2021 on murder charges related to December 4, 2020, shooting death of an unarmed Black man, Casey Goodson Jr., that had led to protests in Columbus and beyond amidst tumult and racial reckoning that had gripped the nation since the murder of George Floyd Jr. in Minneapolis. The 17-year veteran in the ranks of sheriff's deputy, Jason Meade, who is White, has not worn the body camera during the time of the incident. According to Meade's statement, Goodson pointed gun "erratically" at other motorists. Meade then followed Goodson, according to the statement, and then chased on foot as Goodson headed to a house. When Goodson pointed a gun at Meade, the White police officer opened fire. Later, several reports confirmed that Goodson was not armed. Casey Goodson's grand mother, Tamara Payne, was "overwhelmed with joy" after hearing that murder charges had been brought against the sheriff's deputy.
****************** OHIO SHOOTING DEATH OF CASEY GOODSON JR. ***************
****************** NO-KNOCK WARRENT AND AMIR LOCKE'S KILLING *************
Minneapolis Mayor Suspends No-Knock Warrant
After an early morning February 2, 2022, no-knock raid in Minneapolis turned fatal, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey on February 4, 2022 said that he would halt no-knock warrant until the city, police and experts could assess the practice's effectiveness and safety. The body-cam video, date-stamped 2/2/2022 6:48AM, released by the police shows Amir Locke, a Black man, pointing his gun, which had been bought legally, as SWAT team was carrying out the raid. Minneapolis Police later clarified that Amir Locke was not the target of the raid. On February 4, 2022, Amir Locke's parents, Karen Wells and Andre Locke, respectively, vented their sorrow and anger over their son's shooting death in the no-knock raid. Karen Wells lamented that her son was sleeping on a sofa when the raid took place and had been executed by the police. Amir Locke's killing brings back bitter memory of a similar raid in Kentucky in March 2020 that had led to Breonna Taylor's death.
****************** NO-KNOCK WARRENT AND AMIR LOCKE'S KILLING *************
*** KILLING OF PATRCK LYOYA IN GRAND RAPIDS BY A WHITE POLICE OFFICER **
Video Footage of Black Man's Killing Released
Under pressure from all corners, the police department of Grand Rapids, Michigan on April 13, 2022 released four videos of the killing of a Congolese immigrant, Patrick Lyoya, 36, at the hands of a White police officer. One of the videos was recorded by the passenger of the vehicle that Lyoya was driving on the fateful night of April 4, 2022. The video shows a facedown Lyoya on the street and it seems that the police officer has shot him on the back of his head. Grand Rapids Police Chief Eric Winstrom said that the department wanted to be transparent on this "tragedy". The White police officer stopped the car because the license plate didn't belong to the car that Patrick Lyoya was driving, leading to a foot chase, followed by a struggle over the officer's taser and eventually the firing that led to Lyoya's death.
Expert says that Police Has Killed Lyoya Facedown
An autopsy expert who had done an independent autopsy told reporters at a press conference alongside lawyers of the Patrick Lyoya's family that Lyoya had been shot in the back of the head as he lay facedown. Dr. Warner Spitz's statement on April 20, 2022 made the Grand Rapids Police Department all the more responsible for carrying out the investigation to the logical end as soon as possible.
*** KILLING OF PATRCK LYOYA IN GRAND RAPIDS BY A WHITE POLICE OFFICER **
****************** RACIALLY MOTIVATED BUFFALO MASSACRE ******************
White Teen Targets Blacks, Kill 10 at a Grocery Store
An 18-year-old White teenager drove 200 miles, and on a fine Saturday, opened fire on unsuspecting shoppers at the parking lot and inside a grocery store, Tops Friendly Market, in a predominantly Black Buffalo neighborhood. The gruesome killing of 10 Black people on May 14, 2022 was carried out by a 18-year-old suspected gunman, Payton Gendron. New York State Police said on May 15, 2022 that Gendron had threatened in June 2021 to carry out a mass shooting at Susquehanna Valley High School in Conklin, New York. Payton Gendron, then a student of Susquehanna Valley High, had been taken to a hospital after issuing the threat. Payton Gendron drove 200 miles on May 13, 2022 to Buffalo, scouted out the area and researched the demographics. Following day, May 14, 2022, he shot 11 Black, including 10 fatally, and two White people, and livestreamed his carnage using a camera mounted on his helmet. Payton Gendron later surrendered to law enforcement authorities at the grocery store's vestibule. Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown said at a press conference on May 15, 2022 that "this individual came with the express purpose of taking as many Black lives as he possibly could". New York Governor Kathy Hochul said that Payton Gendron had carried out the "White supremacy terrorism" in the Buffalo community. Buffalo Police Commissioner Joseph Gramaglia said on May 15, 2022 that Payton Gendron drove 200 miles from Conklin to Buffalo a day before the shooting to carry out reconnaissance of the community. On May 15, 2022, authorities said that they were taking a closer look at a 180-page documentation that detailed his attack plan and a possible motive for the attack. Payton Gendron was reported to have been influenced by the gunman who had carried out the 2019 Christchurch mass shooting at a pair of mosques. Payton Gendron's 180-page document referred to the so called "replacement theory" as the justification of attacking Black people. In the White Supremacist conspiracy world, the so called "replacement theory" has gained credence in recent days. The idea theorizes a possible collusion of government, immigrants and elites as part of a massive conspiracy to replace the White people as a dominant race in the U.S.
Biden Urges the Nation to "Reject the Lie"
President Joe Biden on May 17, 2022 mourned with the grieving families in Buffalo and then exhorted the nation to "reject the lie" of so called "replacement theory" espoused by the gunman who had used it as a rationale to take lives of 10 Black people at the Tops Friendly Market in Buffalo on May 14, 2022. "American experiment in democracy is in danger like it hasn't been in my lifetime", President Biden said. Biden and First Lady Jill Biden placed a wreath at a memorial across the street from the grocery store. President Biden called out the White supremacy as a poison. President Biden remembered each of the 10 victims of Payton Gendron's brutality by name.
Social Media Sites Discord, Twitch under Investigators' Scrutiny
New York Governor Kathy Hochul on May 18, 2022 authorized the state attorney general, Letitia James, to investigate the social media platforms used by Payton Gendron and whether they [those social media platforms] had failed to appropriately monitor the sinister activities of the gunman. Shortly before he had opened fire at the Tops Friendly Market in Buffalo, Payton Gendron had invited few people to access a private online diary on the social media platform Discord where he had put a detailed plan for his attack. He livestreamed his mayhem on Twitch. The attack was subsequently streamed on other platforms too.
Gendron Charged on Federal Hate Crimes
The Buffalo grocery store mass shooter, Payton Gendron, 18, who had travelled hundreds of miles to carry out the heinous attack on the city's African-American community, was charged on federal hate crimes counts on June 15, 2022, the same day Attorney-General Merrick Garland had visited Buffalo.
Neighborhood Market Reopens
Exemplifying the resilience and conviviality of the Black neighborhood and its residents, Tops Friendly Market on July 15, 2022 reopened more than two months of May 14, 2022, shooting in which Payton Gendron had killed 10 African American people.
Gunman Pleads Guilty
The alleged gunman in Buffalo grocery store massacre, Payton Gendron, on November 28, 2022 pleaded guilty to murder and race-based terrorism charges before Judge Susan Eagan.
Gendron Sentenced to Life in a Tense Hearing
At a hearing where temper and emotion ran high and a relative of one of the victims was restrained as he rushed toward the defendant, Payton Gendron on February 15, 2023 was sentenced to life in prison. The state judge, Judge Susan Eagan, told Gendron that "there can be no mercy for you, no understanding, no second chances". Many of victims' relatives gave impact statement, ranging from outright scorn to prayer for the White Supremacist gunman. Payton Gendron is slated to be back to a federal court on February 16, 2023.
New York Attorney-General Sues Georgia Gun Device Manufacturer
New York Attorney-General Letitia James on May 11, 2023 filed a lawsuit against a Georgia arms company, Mean Arms, whose magazine lock was easily removed by Payton Gendron to insert illegal high-capacity ammunition magazines to make an AR-15 even to a more potent weapon. The lawsuit filed in a state court accused Mean Arms of deceptive marketing about the effectiveness of its magazine lock. Usage of high-capacity ammunition magazines is unlawful in New York, thus making an easily removable magazine lock such as Mean Arms' as detrimental to the operational safety of the gun.
****************** RACIALLY MOTIVATED BUFFALO MASSACRE ******************
****** RONALD GREENE'S KILLING BY LOUISIANA STATE POLICE TROOPERS ******
DOJ Launches "Pattern-or-Practice" Probe against Louisiana Police
In the first ever investigation into an entire state police apparatus, Department of Justice on June 9, 2022 launched the so called "pattern-or-practice" probe into Louisiana State Police amidst mounting evidence that the state troopers used disproportionate degree of force against people of communities of color. The Associated Press reported on the death of Ronald Greene, who had been restrained and struck by unjustified degree of brute force by White police officers on May 10, 2019 outside Monroe at a rural area. Until The Associated Press reported on the incident supported by video clips as evidence, Louisiana State Police covered up the death of Ronald Greene as an accident.
Announcing the "pattern-or-practice" probe, Assistant Attorney-General Kristen Clarke, who oversees the civil-rights enforcement department, said on June 9, 2022 that the Louisiana State Police had been accused of "repeated use of excessive force" against "people suspected of minor traffic offense".
****** RONALD GREENE'S KILLING BY LOUISIANA STATE POLICE TROOPERS ******
************** JAYLAND WALKER'S KILLING IN AKRON, OHIO ********************
Daily Protests Staged over an African-American's Killing by Akron Police
Eight police officers opened fire on an unarmed Black man, Jayland Walker, on June 27, 2022 after a short car chase and, subsequently, Walker trying to flee on foot. Eight police officers fired on an unarmed Walker several rounds, killing him at a parking lot in Akron. After Walker's killing, an angry community got stirred up and held daily protests. Footage of car and foot chase by bodycam was released by Akron Police. On July 4, 2022, protesters held one of the largest protests. At least 50 people were arrested.
************** JAYLAND WALKER'S KILLING IN AKRON, OHIO ********************
******************** ELIJAH MCCLAIN OF AURORA, COLORADO ******************
Police, Paramedic Plead not Guilty
As the nation is reeling from the racial reckoning and policing practices, another Black man, another racial spectrum of police stopping a young Black man as he has been walking home from a store is spotlighting on the scar of our soul. In 2019, 23-year-old Elijah McClain was walking down the street to his home in Aurora, Colorado. A 911 caller described the African American young man as "sketchy". Police and paramedics have arrived at the spot, and medical personnel injected a strong sedative ketamine. An amended autopsy report released last year said that McClain might have been alive if ketamine would not have been injected. Although McClain's death is not yet decided as homicide, Governor Jared Polis has asked the state Attorney-General Phil Weiser to launch a criminal investigation. In 2021, a state grand jury indicted three police personnel--Randy Roedama, Nathan Woodyard, and Jason Rosenblatt--and fire department paramedic Jeremy Cooper and Lt. Peter Cichuniec on second-degree manslaughter, negligent homicide and other charges. A judge scheduled three separate trials: one for Roedama and Rosenblatt to begin in July 2023; the second one for Cooper and Cichuniec to begin in August 2023; and the third one for Woodyard in September 2023. All five pleaded not guilty on January 20, 2023.
Trial Begins for Two Officers
The time of reckoning came for Randy Roedama and Jason Rosenblattas the jury selection began with the opening of the trial on September 15, 2023.
One Officer Found Guilty, Second One Acquitted
A 12-member jury on October 12, 2023 found officer Randy Roedama guilty of criminally negligent homicide and third-degree assault. The other police officer in the trial, Jason Rosenblattas, was acquitted on all counts.
Jury Acquits Third Police Officer
On November 6, 2023, Aurora police officer Nathan Woodyard was acquitted in Elijah McClain murder trial.
Paramedics Found Guilty
In a new experiment in the criminal justice system, two paramedics were convicted of giving lethal doses of Ketamine to Elijah McClain of Aurora, Colorado in 2019. The Black man's death was little noticed until a racial reckoning had engulfed the U.S. in the aftermath of George Floyd's killing in Minneapolis in May 2020. The verdict on December 22, 2023 against paramedic Jeremy Cooper and Lt. Peter Cichuniec may provide ammunition to local prosecutors to charge paramedics and ambulatory personnel if they are not careful in discharging their duties and exploring ways within their means to keep the accused safe.
Sole Police Officer Convicted Sentenced for 14 Months
Judge Mark Warner on January 5, 2024 handed a 14-month sentence to Randy Roedama, who had been convicted in October 2023 of criminally negligent homicide, a felony, and third-degree assault, a misdemeanor, in the August 24, 2019, killing of Elijah McClain as the Black man had been stopped while returning home from a store. Before the sentencing, McClain's mom, Sheneen McClain, called the Roedama, a former Marine, a "bully with a badge".
First of the Two Convicted Paramedics Handed Five Years
On March 1, 2024, Lt. Peter Cichuniec was given five years of imprisonment.
******************** ELIJAH MCCLAIN OF AURORA, COLORADO ******************
*************************** TYRE NICHOLS OF MEMPHIS *************************
Family, Attorneys See the Video Footage of Nichols' Beating
16 days after the January 7, 2023, reported abuse of 29-year-old Tyre Nichols by Memphis police, family members and family lawyers on January 23, 2023 saw the curated video footage of how a skateboarder, FedEx employee and father of a 4-year-old child had been repeatedly beaten up, according to one of the family lawyers, like pinata. In the video footage, Nichols was seen crying out loud "mom", "mom" and "mom" three times about 100 yards from his house. Nichols was driving recklessly, according to Memphis Police Department. Tyre Nichols succumbed three days later on January 10, 2023 at a hospital. After seeing the video on January 23, 2023, the lead attorney for the family, Benjamin Crump, was aghast.
Five Police Officers in Nichols Beating Charged
Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy said at a news conference on January 26, 2023 that all five police officers, who had been indicted earlier during the day, were "responsible" for the death of Tyre Nichols who had been savagely beaten on January 7, 2023. Five police officers--Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Emmitt Martin III, Desmond Mills Jr. and Justin Smith--were charged during the day on counts of second-degree murder, aggravated assault, aggravated kidnapping, official misconduct and official oppression. They have been taken to the jail. The video footage of Tyre Nichols' savage beating is to be made public on January 27, 2023 evening. Tennessee Bureau of Investigation Director David Rausch said that the confrontation was "absolutely appalling". Tyre Nichols' stepfather Rodney Wells said that, although he and his wife, RowVaughn Wells, wanted to have the first-degree murder charges against the five police officers, they would be still satisfied with the second-degree charges.
Grim Beating Videos Released Publicly
Memphis authorities on January 27, 2023 released the videos that showed in cruel and grim views how Tyre Nichols had been savagely beaten by batons, kicked and punched by five police officers on January 7, 2023. Tyre Nichols was returning from taking photographs of sunset. Nichols, a FedEx employee, was an avid photographer who would often go to city parks to take photographs of nature and sunset. He was stopped by a specialized unit, SCORPION Unit. SCORPION--Streep Crimes Operation to Restore Peace in Our Neighborhood--Unit was launched in October 2021 as homicides and other violent crimes surged in that year. Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland was a big champion of this specialized unit that consisted of four, 10-personnel roving teams targeting high crime neighborhoods. Now, that the five of 40 members of the SCORPION Unit are charged on second-degree murder may push the specialized unit into disbandment.
Specialized Unit Disbanded
Memphis police chief, Police Director Cerelyn Davis, on January 28, 2023 issued a press statement, disbanding the specialized crimes unit, SCORPION Unit, whose five members were accused of mercilessly beating Tyre Nichols on January 7, 2023. The beating reminds the nation of the 1991 savage beating of Rodney King that triggered nationwide protests against police brutality. Ben Crump and Antonio Romanucci, lawyers for the Nichols family, said that disbanding the specialized unit was one small step in the long journey ahead, nonetheless it was the right step.
Steps Taken against Other Police, Fire Personnel
On January 30, 2023 two additional police officers have been disciplined and three fire rescue personnel fired for not intervening in Tyre Nichols case. Their inaction to help Nichols was condemned as much as the savage beatings by five police officers of a specialized Memphis Police unit. Those five police officers--Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Emmitt Martin III, Desmond Mills Jr. and Justin Smith--were charged, among others, on second-degree murder count.
Call for Congressional Action for Policing Reform Raised at Nichols' Funeral
Speakers ranging from Vice President Kamala Harris to Rev. Al Sharpton called for passing the George Floyd Justice for Policing Act by Congress. The funeral for Tyre Nichols on February 1, 2023 was part remembrance of a fun-loving child and a strong mother-son bond, part redoubling the determination and resolve for policing reform. Vice President Harris portrayed policing from the perspective of securing the safety of all stakeholders of the community, including Tyre Nichols' safety. Rev. Al Sharpton has condemned the policing approach that matches violence to counter violence, especially if the police violence is targeted at an unarmed person. RowVaughn Wells, mother of Tyre Nichols, said that Nichols was sent to this world with an assignment and now "his assignment is done". She then demanded for policing reforms. On February 1, 2023, the salient demand at the funeral was to demand for Congressional approval of George Floyd Justice for Policing Act that called for banning no-knock warrant, creating a registry of police officers accused of abuses and other measures.
City Council Expresses Frustration over Slow Reform
Memphis City Council on February 7, 2023 expressed deep frustration over slow pace of reforms in the city's police and fire departments. Police Director Cerelyn Davis acknowledged that "a lot went wrong on January 7". Meanwhile, the total number of police officers fired from the job now stands at six, including the five charged in second-degree murder of Nichols. A seventh was relieved of duty. Total number of disciplined officers may rise as high as 13.
Family of Nichols Files Federal Lawsuit against Memphis, Five Police Officers
Family of Tyre Nichols on April 19, 2023 filed a federal lawsuit against five police officers and the city of Memphis for the beating death of Nichols.
Justice Department Investigating Memphis Police Department
U.S. Department of Justice is investigating the Memphis Police Department for its "pattern or practice" of enforcement, according to Assistant Attorney-General Kristen Clarke of the Civil Rights Division, who has announced on July 27, 2023.
Justice Files Federal Charges against Five Police Officers in Nichols' Murder
The U.S. DOJ on September 12, 2023 indicted the five Black officers on four federal counts--(1) deprivation of rights under the color of the law through excessive force and failure to intervene, (2) deprivation of rights under the color of the law through deliberate indifference, (3) conspiracy to witness tampering, and (4) obstruction of justice through witness tampering--related to Tyre Nichols' death in January 2023. Nichols was badly beaten up on January 7, 2023, and he died on January 10, 2023. U.S. Attorney Kevin Ritz of West Tennessee and Assistant U.S. Attorney-General of Civil Rights Division Kristen Clarke unveiled the federal charges against Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Emmitt Martin III, Desmond Mills Jr. and Justin Smith. Nichols family attorneys Ben Crump and Antonio Romanucci said in a statement that the federal indictment "gives his family hope as they continue to grieve his loss and inspire change in his honor".
One of the Five Former Cops Pleads Guilty
Desmond Mills Jr. became the first defendant on November 2, 2023 to plead guilty to federal charges. The guilty plea paves the way for the former police officer to plead guilty to state charges too.
Memphis City Council Replaces Police Chief
Memphis City Council on January 9, 2024 voted to replace Memphis Police Chief Cerelyn "CJ" Davis. The vote is the denouement of a long tragic drama that had hurt the heart and soul of culture enriched city of Memphis.
*************************** TYRE NICHOLS OF MEMPHIS *************************
***************** 50th ANNIVERSARY OF SANTOS RODRIGUEZ KILLING ************
U.S. National Record of Apologizing for Crimes Poor, Columnist Writes
Rick Halperin, director of SMU Dallas Human Rights Program, wrote an insightful article in The Dallas Morning News on July 24, 2023, the 50th anniversary of the infamous killing of a 12-year-old boy inside a Dallas police car with hands cuffed. On that fateful July 24 in 1973, Santos and his brother, David, 13, were picked from their grandfather's home, with Santos still in pajamas. Santos was handcuffed and seated on the front passenger seat in a Dallas Police Department vehicle. A police officer, Darrel Cain, seated behind Santos and playing Russian Roulette with a gun pointing at Santos, pulled the trigger as Santos refused to acknowledge that he had stolen $8 from a store a day before. Santos was killed in a cold blooded assassination by a uniformed officer. At every step since the heinous murder, Rodriguez family faced denial, lack of courtesy and empathy, and more importantly, no apology for years. On September 21, 2013, then-Mayor Mike Rawlings apologized "wholeheartedly" for the killing of Santos Rodriguez during an event at Conversations On Race Program. DPD Chief Eddie Garcia offered an emotional and contrite apology to Bessie Rodriguez, Santos' mother, during a gravesite service on July 24, 2021.
Only last year, the city came to reconciliation with the killing and put an imprimatur in the heart of Uptown to memorialize the death of a 12-year-old boy and remind the community of this city's disgraceful past alongside the city's major accomplishments. On February 12, 2022, a statue was unveiled and dedicated to public at the Pike Park in Santos Rodriguez' honor.
As part of the Op Ed in The Dallas Morning News, Rick Halperin named only six instances when the U.S. had apologized for its racial past:
* 1983: U.S. apologized to France for shielding a Nazi officer wanted for crimes, Klaus Barbie
* 1988: President Ronald Reagan signed Civil Liberties Act, offering every single Japanese American interned during World War II a formal apology and $20,000 compensation
* 1993: Congress issued a joint resolution, formally apologizing to people of Hawaii for the U.S. role in 1893 coup to oust Hawaiian Queen Lili'uokalani.
* 1997: President Bill Clinton officially apologized for government-sponsored unethical medical experiment run by the U.S. Public Health Services on Black Americans in the Tuskegee Institute from 1932 to 1972.
* 2008: The U.S. House of Representatives formally apologized for 246 years of slavery and subsequent 89 years of Jim Crow Era of discrimination against Black Americans
* 2009: U.S. Congress passed a joint resolution, apologizing the depredation of Native American land and properties and extended that apology to all Native Peoples.
***************** 50th ANNIVERSARY OF SANTOS RODRIGUEZ KILLING ************
*** TORTURE OF POLICE ON BLACK PEOPLE IN MISSISSIPPI'S RANKIN COUNTY ***
Six Officers Plead Guilty to Federal Civil Rights Charges
Mississippi's Rankin County has earned the notoriety of the Jim Crow Era as the law enforcement personnel have continued terrorizing the county's Black residents, according to the August 7, 2023, edition of The Dallas Morning News. Since 2019, White law enforcement officers used disproportionate and unjustified degree of force against Black people, killing two and wounding at least one more, according to The Associated Press. Two years ago in 2021, police brutalized Damien Cameron, who had been accused of vandalizing a neighbor's home while living with his grandparents, leading to Cameron's death at a hospital hours later. The accused Rankin County Sheriff's Deputy, Hunter Elward, responsible for Damien Cameron's death in the city of Braxton pleaded guilty to a host of federal civil rights violation charges on August 3, 2023.
In addition to Hunter Elward, five other police officers--including four Rankin County Sheriff's Deputies and one Richmond police officer--pleaded guilty to the federal civil rights violation charges. Those four accused deputies are Christian Dedmon, Brett McAlpin, Jeffrey Middleton, and Daniel Opdyke, respectively. The Richmond Police Department's Joshua Hartfield appeared at the court too on August 3, 2023. The Rankin County Sheriff's Deputies often called themselves as "the Goon Squad". On January 24, 2023, five Rankin County Deputies raided a home on a complaint from a White neighbor that two Black males were staying with a White woman. The deputies inhumanely tortured Michael Corey Jenkins and Eddie Terrel Parker. Elward fired a shot in the mouth of Jenkins, lacerating his tongue.
Nobody thought that the White police officers would ever face the judicial consequence of their oppressive and racist acts. Thanks to The Associated Press coverage, six officers are now facing the federal authorities' long hand of justice. Rankin County President of the NAACP Angela English demanded that Rankin County Sheriff Bryan Bailey should resign.
Goon Squad Plead Guilty to State Charges
On August 14, 2023, six members of the so called "Goon Squad"--Hunter Elward, Christian Dedmon, Brett McAlpin, Jeffrey Middleton, Daniel Opdyke and Joshua Hartfield--pleaded guilty to state charges of obstruction of justice and conspiracy to hinder prosecution. In addition, Dedmon and Elward also pleaded guilty to home invasion charges. They earlier pleaded guilty to federal civil rights violation charges.
Two Officers Sentenced
Two of the Goon Squad officers--Hunter Elward and Jeffrey Middleton--on March 19, 2024 appeared at the court of U.S. District Judge Tom Lee in Jackson, Mississippi to hear their sentences. Elward, 31, was sentenced to nearly 20 years and 46-year-old Middleton was sentenced to 17.5 years behind bars.
Two More Law Enforcement Personnel Sentenced
On March 20, 2024, U.S. District Judge Tom Lee of Jackson sentenced Christian Dedmon to 40 years in jail time and Daniel Opdyke to 17.5 years of imprisonment.
*** TORTURE OF POLICE ON BLACK PEOPLE IN MISSISSIPPI'S RANKIN COUNTY ***
******************** RACIAL KILLING IN JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA ***************
White Supremacist Kills Three African Americans at Dollar General
An avowed White Supremacist, Ryan Palmeter, on August 26, 2023 targeted a Dollar General store near a historically Black institution, Edward Waters University, an HBCU, in a predominantly African American neighborhood in Jacksonville, Florida to open fire and kill three African American people. The carnage happened two days before the 60th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.'s history-shattering "I Have a Dream" speech at Washington D.C. on August 28, 1963. Palmeter legally purchased his weapons--a Glock and an AR-15 semi-automatic--to kill Michelle Carr, 52, at the parking lot; store employee A.J. Laguerre, 19; and another fellow customer, Jerald Gallion, 29, respectively. Sheriff T.K. Waters said on August 27, 2023 that Ryan Palmeter had been involuntarily committed for a mental health examination in 2017.
******************** RACIAL KILLING IN JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA ***************
*************** TA'KIYA YOUNG'S KILLING IN A COLUMBUS SUBURB ***************
Video Released; Slain Black Pregnant Woman's Family Demands Arrest of Police Officer
Racial reckoning may be a motivating factor for increased community policing initiative, but it's not a substitute for enhanced police training focused on de-escalation strategy. An August 24, 2023, encounter at Blendon Township, a suburb of Columbus, is a telltale proof of that as two police officers have asked an African American pregnant woman to get out of the car. As Ta'Kiya Young refused to get out of the car and began driving, a police officer in front of the car shot Young through windshield. Police officers accused Young of theft.
Blendon Township Police Chief John Belford the death a tragedy. On September 1, 2023, Young family saw the video footage of the encounter. After seeing the video footage, the family issued a statement through the family attorney, Sean Walton, calling the shooting a "gross misuse of power and authority". Sean Walton, the family attorney, called for firing and immediate arrest of the police officer who opened the fire. The incident is now under the investigation of Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation.
*************** TA'KIYA YOUNG'S KILLING IN A COLUMBUS SUBURB ***************
******** BURNSVILLE, MINNESOTA KILLING OF THREE FIRST RESPONDERS ********
Two Police Officers, Firefighter Killed in Minnesota
Gun violence is taking an increasing toll on our communities, including our first responders. The Minnesota suburb of Burnsville is the latest place that has suddenly become known to the world for all the wrong reasons. On February 18, 2024, as police officers were called in to address a domestic disturbance, things didn't look at first as awful as the eventual ending of the event had turned out. The suspected gunman opened fire on the first responders, killing two police officers and a firefighter, who happened to be a paramedic too. A third police officer was injured. The suspected gunman, who had holed himself with seven children ranging in age from 2 to 15, was killed too in exchange of gunfire.
Deceased Identified, Affluent Suburb in Shock
A day after three first responders were killed in a well-to-do suburb south of Minneapolis, there were no whole lot of answers as Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension was trying to piece together an evolving set of several puzzles. On February 19, 2024, Hennepin County Medical Examiner's Office identified the fallen officers as 27-year-olds Paul Elmstrand and Mathew Ruge, respectively, and deceased paramedic as Adam Finseth, 40. The wounded third police officer, Sgt. Adam Medicott, is recovering at home. BCA identified the gunman as 40-year-old Shannon Gooden.
******** BURNSVILLE, MINNESOTA KILLING OF THREE FIRST RESPONDERS ********
