Month: July 2021

Patrick Fisher, 31-year-old Indigenous man, died while in custody in Waterloo, Sydney.

Four officers had kicked in the unit door on February 7, 2018. The police had two outstanding warrants for him. His family believes that he slipped while he was trying to climb to the balcony below to avoid being arrested by officers. He died as a “result of multiple injuries he received when he fell from a 13th floor balcony”.

The coronial inquest into Fisher’s death found that the “police were aware of the possibility that Fisher might attempt to climb over the balcony, as records showed he avoided or attempted to avoid police on 44 other occasions”.

In February 2021, the victim’s family said they expected police officers to be held accountable. Fisher’s relatives also noted that the investigation was not carried out properly, because the coronary investigation was carried out only 2 years after Fisher’s death.

Bryan Peña Valencia, 28, was shot and killed during an altercation with Unified Police in Taylorsville, Salt Lake County.

Peña Valencia was shot by a police officer on March 21, 2020 after police responded to a 911 call about gunshots. Investigators said his black Cadillac matched the description of a car that left the scene of a recent shooting. According to police, Peña Valencia fled from them in a car then crashed the car. A chase on foot began, which involved jumping a fence.

Officers reportedly used a taser on Peña Valencia twice before eventually firing. One of the officers said Peña Valencia disobeyed his orders, and his hands were moving by his waist, causing him to fear for his life and use deadly force. He shot Peña Valencia six times.

In May 2021 Peña Valencia’s family and their attorney have sued the Unified Police Department and the two officers involved for no less than $2 million. The family accuses the Police Department of violating civil rights and use of excessive force.

Jean Samuel Celestin, 33, died while in custody in Ocoee, Florida.

Celestin, who was diagnosed with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, had allegedly punched his mother and sister in the face on April 11, 2019. They called police asking officers to remove Celestin from the home and involuntarily commit him to a mental health facility.

Body camera video from police officers who responded the call shows their interaction with Celestin. They ask if they can speak with him. His family says he was too disoriented and unwell to follow commands and eventually panicked and ran away. After that Celestin was tackled to the ground and tased several times. While Celestin was on his stomach, officers hogtied his ankles and wrists together in a “hobble restraint.” Celestin died of sudden cardiorespiratory arrest.

In April 2021 family of Celestin sued the cities of Ocoee, Windermere and their police departments. The family is demanding to hold the officers accountable. They’re also calling on the agencies to review their policies and procedures while responding to calls regarding mental health issues.

In the end of July 2021, over two years after Jean “Samuel” Celestin’s deathwhile being tased by police, the Ocoee man’s family is still fighting to raise awareness of his case and seek justice. At a protest outside Orlando City Hall, Celestin’s relatives wore shirts with his name and carried signs saying, “Calling 911 should not be a death sentence” and “Mental illness ≠ a crime.” The family sent a formal request to Worrell’s office asking for the case to be reopened.

Mawda Shawri, a Kurdish girl 2-year-old girl, was shot dead by a police officer in the southern Belgian city of Mons.

In may 2018 Mawda was shot in the face as she sat on her mother’s lap in the front seat of a van carrying 26 adults and 4 children. The vehicle was being driven by a suspected people smuggler, who was trafficking migrants to Britain.

Police chased the van as it was travelling 90kmph. According to the investigation, the police officer had aimed his gun out of the window at the van’s “left front tyre” in an effort to stop the vehicle. But he stated that a sudden movement by his colleague had deflected his shot.

On February 12, 2021, the court charged a police officer with manslaughter, sentencing him to 1 year suspended imprisonment and a fine of 400 euros. Mawda’s family tried to get a sentence of 10-15 years in prison for the officer. On March 10, 2021, media reported that police intend to appeal the court decision.

Adnane Nassih, 19, lost his right eye after a police officer shot him with a flashball gun in Essonne, France.

Adnane Nassih was walking a street on February 22, 2020, when a police officer shot him. The officer later said he had done it to defended himself as Nassih had made a sudden movement and had thrown something at him. Nassih was seriously injured after the shot. Several bones in his face were fractured and his right eye burst and was enucleated.

On May 4, 2021, Liberation published an investigation in which video from the scene was modeled in 3D. The model shows a police officer who points his gun at Nassih when he gets scared and tries to run away from the officer. It means that Nassih did not pose a threat to the police officer.

On February 28, 2021, the officer was charged with “willful violence and mutilation.” Nassih is awaiting for a trial.

Darell Richards, 19, was shot and killed by police officers in Sacramento, California.

Police received reports of a man walking with a mask and a gun on Sept. 5. An officer spots Richards and orders him to stop. Richards then runs away. Officers set up a perimeter and called in SWAT and K9 Teams.

Officers say they found Richards hiding under a stairwell and ordered him to drop his weapon. He pointed pellet gun at officers, who opened fire, believing it was a real handgun. Richards was pronounced dead at the scene.

In May 2021, a lawsuit was filed against the Sacramento Police Department because, more than two years after the shooting, the city still has not released documents about the murder of Darell Richards. The city is hiding the documents despite Legislative Assembly of California adopted a law that requires publication of the documents in 2018.

In August 2021 Sacramento County Superior Court Judge Steven M. Gevercer announced that, the city of Sacramento violated the California Public Records Act by refusing to produce complete records – including video/photos and documents – after city police killed Richards. The ruling meant additional documents will be made public no later than Sept. 13.