Seven Other Lives Cut Down By Police Since Michael Brown Was Shot
The reason Ferguson got so much national attention is because it was not an isolated incident. And in the months since, even more lives were snuffed by police.
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Darrien Hunt; Saratoga Springs, Utah
A family friend holds the funeral program for Darrien Hunt following his funeral Thursday, Sept. 18, 2014, in Saratoga Springs, Utah.
22-year-old Darrien Hunt was carrying a sword his mother said was a toy when he was shot dead by officers in the small town of Saratoga Springs, Utah. Hunt was wearing an outfit that bore a striking resemblance to the Japanese anime character Mugen prompting suspicion that his sword was part of a costume. In the weeks after his death, his family found drawings of a number of Japanese anime characters, including several carrying swords.
A county autopsy revealed that Hunt was shot six times toward the back of his body, corroborating other evidence that Hunt was shot while running away…
Ezell Ford and Omar Abrego, Los Angeles
Outrage fomented in Ferguson as residents demanded the release of the officer who shot Brown — now known to be Darren Wilson. But it’s taken even longer for police to share information on the fatal police shootings of two victims in South Los Angeles that occurred a week apart.
One victim was Ezell Ford, who exhibited signs of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Friends said he was a quiet guy whose mental illness was known by community members and police. There is no indication that he was armed during the fatal incident…Less is known about the other victim, 37-year-old Omar Abrego. What we do know is that his autopsy had also not yet been released as of earlier this month, and that he died several hours after a brutal police altercation that left him with a severe concussion and “multiple facial and body contusions.” …
Tamir E. Rice And Tanesha Anderson; Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland also saw two fatal shootings over a period of weeks. One involved 12-year-old Tamir E. Rice, who was gunned down by police while carrying a toy gun at a playground. A worried 911 caller told a dispatcher there was a “guy pointing a gun at people” although he said twice it was “probably fake” and that the person was “probably a juvenile.” None of this information was reportedly communicated to police…
Tanesha Anderson’s death did not involve a gun. But it did also involve a call to police for help. Anderson suffered from schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Police reported to her family’s home after a caller reported she was “disturbing the peace.” Police said they were planning to take her for a psychiatric evaluation, but a struggle ensued that family members said involved a “take-down” move in which Anderson was thrown to the pavement. Police counter that witness report, saying Anderson went limp in officers’ arms. Police officials have thus far deflected questions about officers’ training on mental illness.
John Crawford; Beavercreek, Ohio
22-year-old John Crawford III had just picked up a BB gun stocked on the shelf of the WalMart where he was shopping that he seemingly intended to buy when he wasshot dead by officers. Surveillance video reveals Crawford never even pointed the sporting gun. But in September, a grand jury decided not to file any charges against the officers, as one of the cops was already back on the job.
Akai Gurley, New York City
Akai Gurley was walking down a darkened stairwell last Thursday after he and his girlfriend got tired of waiting for the elevator, when he was shot by two rookie cops who had been patrolling the stairwell at the apartment complex in East New York, Brooklyn. Within hours, police said the shooting was an accident and Police Chief Bill Bratton has said Gurley was a “total innocent.” He said officer Peter Liang had his gun in his left hand and his flashlight in his right, and when he heard a noise he fired accidentally.[su_csky_ad]
Kim Serrahn November 26th, 2014 at 12:13 pm
we are living in a never ending story.
crc3 November 26th, 2014 at 12:15 pm
Still nothing is done to stop the unnecessary carnage. These are American tragedies that never get better…only worse…
tiredoftea November 26th, 2014 at 12:19 pm
To be a young black man is to be a human target. This has to stop!
rational_thinking_one November 26th, 2014 at 12:21 pm
Much more likely a human target to another black man than the police. But that sort of realism substantiated by crime stats doesn’t sit as well with the black community, right?
tiredoftea November 26th, 2014 at 12:24 pm
Any violence within a community is wrong. Official murders of young men is especially heinous.
Jones November 26th, 2014 at 2:59 pm
If a black man kills another black…he goes to jail, a white man may get crowd funded over $50,000.00 and a pension.
edmeyer_able November 26th, 2014 at 6:35 pm
wilson’s fund which was run by the Ferguson DA has 400,000 in it besides the 3+month paid vacation he continues to enjoy.
FrankenPC . November 26th, 2014 at 7:22 pm
It’s as if you are positing that professionals who are trained to fight crime are excused when they commit crimes because …crime.
rational_thinking_one November 26th, 2014 at 12:19 pm
There are so many more good police in this country than there are bad ones. The continued highlight of these highly uncommon bad incidents without highlighting the vast majority of good incidents done by the police is doing more harm to the black community than the bad police are themselves.
You are stoking the hate towards the police as a whole; something the black community needs a lot less of these days. The majority of police are out there trying to protect black on black, white on black, black on white, white on white, and all races in between from crime against one another.
I am so disappointed in this website’s sensationalism on this issue. In this sense, you guys are no better than the right wing wacko sites that sensationalize the deaths in Benghazi or the website glitches on the ACA exchanges, etc., etc.
tiredoftea November 26th, 2014 at 12:22 pm
The difference here is that facts are offered, not hysterical opinions as on the fringe right site. The fact here is that in the mere 95 or so days since the August 9th murder of Mr. Brown. there have been the above murders. Why would you ot mourn and be horrified at their loss? Why would you not consider the families of these young men when making your statement?
edmeyer_able November 26th, 2014 at 1:31 pm
I think you know the reason but are just too polite to say it out loud.
Jones November 26th, 2014 at 1:41 pm
“There are so many more good police in this country than there are bad ones.”
“The majority of police are out there trying to protect…”
I agree about that,… the thing that makes these stories important is not that they show that there are some bad apples, but that they are systematically excused.
FrankenPC . November 26th, 2014 at 7:20 pm
If you are a compassionate human being, then you might try thinking about how afraid the African American community is of cops and ask yourself why. If your answer is “they are born criminals!”, I think I know what your problem is.
whatthe46 November 26th, 2014 at 1:34 pm
police must stop policing themselves.
Jones November 26th, 2014 at 1:56 pm
Those killings are all horrible and the police involved should be held accountable.
To add a little perspective, there are over three million uneventful arrests daily in the US.