Black Lives Matter co-founder’s cousin dies after being tasered by LAPD

The LAPD released a body camera video showing what led to an officer tasing the man, who later died.

The incident took place on January 3 involving Los Angeles resident Keenan Darnell Anderson, cousin of Black Lives Matter co-founder Patrice Cullors.

Anderson, 31, a black man, died in hospital after receiving emergency medical treatment about four and a half hours after his arrest, police spokeswoman Kelly Muñiz said in a video message.

The situation began around 3:35 p.m. when an LAPD officer was alerted to the traffic accident, Muñiz said. Witnesses sent an officer to Anderson, who they said caused the car accident.

Cullors told The Guardian that her cousin, a high school teacher and father, was asking the police for help.

“And he didn’t get it. He was killed,” she said. “No one deserves to die in fear, panic and fear for their lives. My cousin was afraid for his life.”

Body camera video shows Anderson in the middle of the street. “Please help me,” he tells the officer before running away.

The officer tells Anderson to “step aside” as shown in the video. In response, Anderson says that someone is trying to kill him.

Eventually Anderson steps out onto the sidewalk and raises his hands. “I didn’t mean to,” he tells the officer.

The officer orders Anderson to stand against the wall, as seen in the video. Instead, Anderson drops to his knees and puts his hands behind his head.

“Please. Please sir, I didn’t mean to, sir. Please. Please. I’m so sorry,” Anderson says, according to the recording.

Anderson tells the officer that he lost his key and asked someone to fix his car. After Anderson again says that someone is trying to kill him, the officer asks who he is talking about.

“I had a trick today,” Anderson replies. “Today I had a trick, sir. I need. Like, no, no, no.”

Muniz said Anderson remained on the ground for several minutes.

“However, when additional officers arrived, Anderson suddenly attempted to flee the scene by running into the middle of the street,” she said in a video message.

“The officers gave chase and ordered Anderson to stop. Eventually Anderson stopped and was ordered to lie down on the ground. As officers tried to take Anderson into custody, he became increasingly agitated, uncooperative and resisted the officers.”

Body camera video shows Anderson lying on his back in the middle of the street in front of a car. Several officers tell him to roll over on his stomach, and when he doesn’t, they grab him, as seen in the video.

“Please sir, don’t do this,” Anderson says in the video. “Please help me, please… They are trying to kill me. Please, please, please, please, please, please.”

The officers tell Anderson that if he doesn’t stop resisting, he will be tasered. The footage shows one officer, who appears to be black, placing his elbow on Anderson’s neck to pin him to the ground.

At one point, Anderson yells, “They’re trying to kill me with George Floyd,” referring to the black man who was killed by Minneapolis police in May 2020.

As a fight ensues between Anderson and the police, video shows one officer repeatedly using his stun gun. He was later handcuffed and placed in an ambulance for evaluation of the use of a stun gun, according to Muñiz and the video. He died in the hospital around 8:15 pm on 3 January.

Cullors accused the police of failing to protect Anderson, telling The Guardian that they treated him like a “potential criminal”.

“It was a traffic accident. Instead of treating him like a potential criminal, the police should have called an ambulance. it would have prevented my cousin’s death,” she said. “And it would have prevented so many other deaths.”

In an Instagram post Sunday, Cullors demanded justice for Anderson, writing that he “deserves to be alive right now, his child deserves to be raised by his father.”

She wrote: “Keenan, we will fight for you and for all of our loved ones affected by state violence. I love you”.

NBC News contacted Cullors and her spokesperson.

At a press conference on Wednesday, police chief Michael Moore said Anderson committed a felony and tried to “get into another person’s car without their permission.”

Content Source

Dallas Press News – Latest News:
Dallas Local News || Fort Worth Local News | Texas State News || Crime and Safety News || National news || Business News || Health News

Related Articles

Back to top button