Month: April 2021

Frankie Jennings, a 32-year-old African American, was killed by a U.S. Marshal at gas station in Charlotte, North Carolina. The police had several arrest warrants for Jennings. While attempting to arrest, the officer said, Jennings began to threaten law enforcement, as a result of which he was shot.

A gun belonging to the victim was seized from the scene, but the police found refused to answer whether Jennings had pointed the pistol in the officer’s direction before the shots were fired. One of the eyewitnesses to the incident mentioned that he saw two men fighting, but from a distance he could not say for sure which of them was a police officer.

“Even if (the U.S. Marshal) had warrants or not, and I’m not saying he did, because I don’t know that,” Latanya Jennings said. “That still doesn’t give them the right to draw their guns on someone and kill him in broad daylight.”

An internal investigation is underway; the family of the deceased is demanding answers. Frankie was shot on his 32nd birthday. Jennings’ death sparked protests and rallies in Charlotte.

In June 2021, Mecklenburg County’s district attorney says he will not be pursuing charges against a deputy U.S. Marshal who shot and killed a man on his birthday at a Charlotte gas station in March 2021 due to the fact that officers faced an imminent threat of great bodily harm or death.

On March 29, 2021, 13-year-old Adam Toledo was shot dead by police. According to investigators, police officers from Chicago (Illinois) responded to the alarm at 2:35 and saw two suspects. One of them, 13-year-old Hispanic teenager Adam Toledo, who was allegedly armed, fled the scene and was shot by an officer during an “armed confrontation.”

Initially, the police insisted on the version that the teenager was armed, however, a recently published video clearly showed that the child was unarmed and stood with his hands raised when the police officer started shooting.

According to a press release from the Chicago City Police Department, the police officer who shot Adam was not only not arrested or fired, but also not suspended from his job. The policeman was transferred from operational work to performing “routine administrative duties”.

The incident caused public outrage and another wave of public protests against police brutality. The mother of the deceased demands the immediate disclosure of all the details of the incident.

In the end of the June 2021, Civilian Office of Police Accountability (COPA) did not recommend that the officer who shot Adam Toledo, Eric Stillman, be relieved of his police powers.Last month, the department announced a policy that, among other things, prohibits foot pursuits for minor traffic violations, and bars officers from separating from partners if they can’t see the person they’re chasing or if the officer or the person is injured.

In March 2021 in Jamesville, New York, a 17-year-old teenager, Judson Albahm, was shot by police after he escaped from a mental health center.

Judson had mental personality disorder and Asperger’s syndrome. During one of his frequent mental health crises, Albahm’s mother went to a local mental health center. Some time later, Albahm escaped and the staff at the center called the police to help them find Albahm and return him safely for treatment.

An hour after the police arrived, Albahm was killed. He was shot more than nine times. According to the police, he directed at the officers “something like a pistol”, but shortly before that the dispatcher had warned the officers several times that Albahm had a pneumatic pistol.

After Judson’s death, dozens of protesters took to the streets, demanding justice and police reforms. They believe that the police should pay more attention to the psychological health of a suspect before opening fire.

African-American Shanta Grant is suing Montgomery County, Maryland, and the police after the County Police Department handcuffed her 5-year-old child, called him “beast” and forced her to beat him.

In January 2021, the Montgomery County Police Department received a call from an elementary school reporting a student who had left school and did not want to return to class. Arriving at the scene, the police did not calmly persuade the child to return to school. Instead, the child was yelled at, grabbed by the arms and handcuffed. At the same time, the police officer shouted at the boy to stop crying.

The video of this event went viral in the media and social networks. Attorney Grant is seeking to publicize the results of an internal investigation and bring those responsible for child abuse to justice.

In june 2021, three months later lawmakers are finally making moves to hold cops more accountable in an effort to prevent future scenarios.The bill would require the Montgomery County Police Department’s internal affairs division to notify the Police Chief immediately about any investigations involving children, discrimination, use of force, and other serious matters immediately.

On March 28, 2019, African American Javier Ambler was killed in an attempted detention in Austin, Texas. The police beat Ambler and used tasers on him on several occasions, although his only fault was failing to dim his headlights to oncoming traffic.

Police officers continued to use tasers against the detainee, despite the fact that Ambler warned them about his breathing problems and heart issues. An autopsy revealed that Javier had died of cardiac failure and cardiovascular hypertension. Formally, Javier’s death is regarded as homicide.

Ambler’s death sparked protests in Austin. The police did not release the bodycam footages for a long time and even tried to destroy them. As of April, it is known that charges of tampering with evidence of a crime and homicide have been brought against the police. The Ambler family is seeking justice.

On January 9, 2021, Mohamud Mohammed Hassan, a 24-year-old Somalian-born British citizen, died suddenly after being released from arrest in Cardiff, Wales. Hassan was detained at his home on suspicion of disturbing public order. The man spent the night in the detention center, but was released the next morning without any charges pressed against him. On the evening of the same day, he was found dead.

The cause of death has not yet been clarified; the results of the forensic medical examination are still unknown. According to the ongoing investigation, the deceased may have been in contact with more than 50 police officers on the day of his death. At the moment, five of them have received misconduct notices from the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).

Hassan’s death sparked massive protests in Cardiff demanding increased police accountability for the detention of the detainees and disclosing all the details of Hassan’s death. Hassan’s family suspects the police of committing violent unlawful acts against the deceased and hiding evidence. Relatives intend to seek justice in court.