Abuse of Power

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Tanisha Anderson was restrained in prone position; death ruled homicide

Tanisha Anderson, 37, died suddenly after she was restrained in a prone position in a confrontation with Cleveland police Nov. 13. Her death was ruled a homicide.

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Her family called police twice on Nov. 13 to report the 37-year-old woman was disturbing the peace, police said. They eventually agreed to let police take her to St. Vincent Charity Medical Center for a mental health evaluation.

Police said Anderson began to kick at the officers as they escorted her to a police car, and went limp during the struggle. But Anderson’s brother, Joell Anderson, told Northeast Ohio Media Group that Anderson got nervous after voluntarily getting into the back of the police car.

She left the cruiser, and a police officer performed a take-down move, placed his knee on Anderson’s back as she lay face-down on the pavement and handcuffed her before she stopped moving, according to Anderson’s family.

The department’s Use of Deadly Force Investigation Team continues to probe the incident. Investigators have not yet determined if the officer’s use of force was justified, but Anderson has become one of the faces of a 58-page Justice Department reportthat found, among other things, many Cleveland police officers are not properly trained to handle encounters with residents with mental illnesses.

Specifically, the report found, officers often do not practice proper deescalation techniques to keep a situation from getting out of control and wind up using cruel and excessive force against the mentally and medically ill.

It’s unclear if the officers involved in Anderson’s arrest were among the department’s 400 certified crisis intervention officers. The family has publicly called for the department to require every Cleveland police officer to receive 40 hours of special training given by the Cuyahoga County Board of Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services.

The officers are on restricted duty, police spokeswoman detective Jennifer Ciaccia said Friday.

Mauvion Green, Anderson’s 16-year-old daughter, said she hopes her mother’s death will be a catalyst for change.

“I am hoping for a change in the police system,” Green said. “If they have a job to protect people, that’s what they should be doing.”

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Source: www.cleveland.com

Again. Still no lapel video or dash cam video. 

#BlackLivesMatter 

#NotOneMore 

#ShutItDown 

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Tweets you must see 1.4

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DeRay and Netta Newsletter – Saturday, Jan 3rd 2015

thisisthemovement #69 – Saturday, Jan. 3rd

# of days that Darren Wilson has remained free : 148# of days that Kajieme Powell has been dead : 139# of days that Vonderrit Myers Jr. has been dead : 86
Let’s Stay ConnectedSo You KnowFerguson

Ferguson, We Still Have a Long Way to Go  In this on-air interview with Emanuele Berry, Brittany Packnett, Johnetta Elzie, Patricia Bynes and Rev. F. Willis Johnson STL Public Radio host Don Marsh asked difficult questions to activists and community leaders from St. Louis about what they’ve learned over the past 140+ days.



Ferguson Year-End-Review The Post-Dispatch has compiled a year-end-review from staff that recount significant experiences and moments from the protests thus far. Interesting read.

Protestors Occupy the STL Metro PD Headquarters Protestors occupied the lobby of the Metro PD and protested outside of the headquarters. For now, check out the Post-Dispatch’s article describing the occupation/protest. Check the language throughout the article. Must read.



Pro-Police Rally Held In STL Police supporters held a rally in front of the STL Metro Police Department. Check how the Post-Dispatch describes their rally — it seems as if they missed the sign calling Mike Brown a thug who “caused his own death.” Must read.

McCulloch and Stenger Request Change-Of-Venue for Inauguration Citing “security concerns,” McCulloch and Stenger have requested a change of venue for the inauguration and the event became invite-only.

Protests Nationwide

New York Recent Drop in Arrest NYPD officers have seemed to slow down on policing in New York city, possibly due to tension with Mayor Bill de Blasio. “There was a marked decline in arrests and court summonses in the last week, according to statistics released by police on Tuesday.”

Nashville Police Chief Comments, Protestors Respond The Chief of Police in Nashville offered helpful commentary from the police perspective on the current unrest. And here is the response from Nashville protestors.

Wheaton, MD New Year’s Day Mall Die-In On New Year’s Day, protestors in Wheaton, MD had a die-in to bring in the Year of Resistance.

Utah New Year’s Eve Protests On New Year’s Eve, protestors in Salt Lake City marched through downtown to bring in the Year of Resistance. 

Protests Cost DC Approximately $3 Million The District of Columbia has recently released figures noting that policing the protests have cost approximately $3 million. 

Dontre Hamilton

The Landscape of Milwaukee Police Brutality This article provides invaluable historical context to the recent killing of Dontre Hamilton and helps the reader understand the long legacy of police brutality citizens have faced in Milwaukee. Important read.



Ezell Ford

Ezell Ford’s Family Responds to Autopsy Report “I thought the gangs would kill him. I thought the police would protect him,” said Ezell Ford’s grandmother Dorothy Clark. This is one of many heartbreaking responses to reading the autopsy report that was recently released. Ford, a mentally ill young black man was killed by a LAPD officer on August 11th, days after Michael Brown Jr.

Protestors Shutdown 110 Freeway After Ezell Ford’s Autopsy Is Released Protestors briefly shutdown the 110 Freeway after the release of Ezell Ford’s autopsy which showed that Ford was shot three times, once in the back.



Sheneque Proctor

Autopsy States Sheneque’s Death Caused by Drug Overdose 18 year old Sheneque Proctor was arrested on November 1, 2014 for disorderly conduct, harassment and possession of marijuana. While in custody, Sheneque died overnight in her Bessemer jail cell. While authorities have not released any information about her death until now. The Jefferson County Coroner’s Office said that her death was from complications of a polydrug overdose.



Commentary/Miscellaneous

17 Horrible Things That People Said Weren’t Racist In 2014 Simply put, you must read this. 2014 was quite the year re: race. Absolute must read.

The Politics of Black vs. African American A recent study has found that “‘Black’ people are viewed more negatively than ‘African Americans’ because of a perceived difference in economic status. As a result, ‘Black’ people are thought of as less competent and has having colder personalities.” Absolute must read.



Grand Jury System Needs Change This article explains the purpose of a grand jury, and why in some countries grand juries have been abolished because they seem “too secretive.” “The old saying is a prosecutor can get an indictment on a ham sandwich,” said John Roman of Urban Institute’s Justice Policy Center.

Shouting While Black Goldie Taylor reflects on the picture from a NYC protest, showing a white woman yelling into the face of a white male officer. In her commentary she explains the many ways in which the picture exposes the presence of privilege, especially in protest.



What’s Next

Protests In Your City

Check out fergusonresponse.tumblr.com to see (or add) a protest in your city. The movement lives.

Events in Ferguson

Remember to check the calendar for events happening in Ferguson. 

Your Role In The Movement

  • Bail Fund Donations. Missourians Organizing for Reform and Empowerment (MORE) have a bail fund to assist protesters. Click here to donate. According to organizers, the police are aiming to deplete the current bail fund by making the bail of any arrested protester $1,000, the legal limit. Please help.
  • Support The Livestreamers Click here to support the livestreamers and livestreaming training nationwide.
  • And Counting. Click here to purchase one of the now iconic shirts that lists of the names of the victims of black lives lost in state violence. 
  • Rachel Stewart Jewelry. Check out this black-owned jewelry company that has some incredible pieces, including “Young, Gifted and Black” earrings, afro pick earrings, and a high-top afro brooch. Simply put, incredible, y’all. 
  • Ferguson Digital Archive. Washington University has led the creation of a digital repository aiming to “preserve and make accessible” content related to the killing of Mike Brown. Submit or review material.
#ferguson

A police supporter at the STL Metro PD Pro-Police Rally.
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Cop assaults man who had hands UP. Dashcam Footage Shows Cops Assaulting Him, Cops Indicted.

February 24, 2014

Evidence from a dashboard camera on a police cruiser ended a nightmare for a New Jersey man facing false charges of eluding police, resisting arrest and assault.

Prosecutors dismissed all the criminal charges against Marcus Jeter, 30, of Bloomfield, N.J. and instead indicted two Bloomfield police officers for falsifying reports and one of them for assault after the recording surfaced showing police officers beating Jeter during a traffic stop, according to WABC of New York. A third has pleaded guilty to tampering.

Jeter’s defense attorney requested all recorded evidence, but the police failed to hand over a second tape until additional evidence surfaced of a second police car at the scene. The tape showed Jeter complying with police, even as one punched him in the head repeatedly.

Without the tape, prosecutors had been demanding a five-year prison sentence.

The video below is graphic and blood boiling. The cops used the common tactic of yelling “stop resisting” so it could be said that they were threatened, as they pummeled an innocent and non-threatening man.


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Source: thefreethoughtproject.com

If there was no dash cam footage, this man would have a felony conviction and 5 years in prison. 

Note, the police do not always turn on the camera. 

More protections for citizens need to be in place. 

Redundant cameras need to be required by law. If one camera malfunctions, we need alternative footage. 

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Witness Says NJ Man Killed by Police During Traffic Stop Had Hands Up

Tahli Dawkins was taking out his recycling and witnessed the fatal shooting.


“He had nothing in his hands,” Dawkins told NBC10. “He had his hands up trying to get out of the car, one on the door was getting out like this and he just started shooting him.” 

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Source: thefreethoughtproject.com

#BLACKLIVESMATTER 

#HANDSUPDONTSHOOT 

#SHUTITDOWN 

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Anderson Cooper’s Interview With Four Mothers Of Unarmed Black Men Slain By Police Spotlights Racial Injustice

 

On Friday evening, four mothers came forward to tell the story of how they buried their children, a story that no parent should have to tell. Speaking with Anderson Cooper, the mothers of Trayvon Martin, Mike Brown, Eric Garner and Tamir Rice came together to discuss the horrific reality of police brutality in America, and its disproportionate effects on black bodies. The interview marked the first time that all four women came together on national television, highlighting the growing national discomfort with an insidious trend of violence towards black, brown and minority men and women at the hands of law enforcement officials, and the insufficiency of a legal system that seems unconcerned with their existence.

 

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Source: www.bustle.com