Deaths and Injuries in Police Custody

[Andrea]

Police-involved shooting in southeast Raleigh

http://abc11.com/1223954/

A Raleigh police officer shot and killed a man wanted on felony drug charges during a foot chase Monday.

It happened at Bragg Street and S. East Street in southeast Raleigh around noon close to a business called PJ's Grill and Groceries.

Raleigh Police Chief Cassandra Deck Brown told reporters Monday afternoon that a gun was found near the man.

Brown promised a thorough investigation which will "follow the available facts and evidence wherever they may lead."

Brown said the State Bureau of Investigation as well as Internal Affairs are working on the case. The findings will be presented to the Wake County District Attorney.

"This is a sad day, and our thoughts and prayers go out to all involved," said Brown.

In a statement, the Wake County District Attorney, Lorrin Freeman, said they will release information as it becomes verified and available. Freeman asked for "people's patience as we work to ensure that this investigation is thorough and complete."

Shortly before 5 p.m., the crime tape was taken down and authorities began leaving the scene.

While police have not identified the dead man, shortly after the shooting, a woman on the scene told ABC11 that officers shot her son, Akiel Denkins, who was wanted on a warrant.

"He was running away," said Rolanda Byrd. "They couldn't catch him so they shot at him seven times."

"Everybody seen it," said Byrd. "They ain't going down with this one. They ain't gonna get away with this one, there's at least 40 eyewitnesses out here."

Byrd said several people told her that her 24-year-old son was unarmed and was shot by a white officer.

As word of the shooting spread, a small group of demonstrators arrived at the scene and started chanting "Black lives matter."

The ACLU of North Carolina said in a statement, "Along with many community members in Raleigh, we are alarmed by these reports, trying to learn more details about what happened, and express our deepest condolences to Akiel's family. What we do know is that far too many people of color are victims of wrongful targeting and excessive use of force by law enforcement officers across the country, and North Carolina is not immune to that reality."

Raleigh's city council was supposed to hold a meeting on the use of body cameras on police officers Monday but the event was cancelled because of the shooting.

"This is obviously a sad, terrible situation," Mayor Nancy McFarlane told reporters. "We are all very saddened by the news."

Denkins was the father of two sons and turned 24 on February 8th.

[Andrea]

Baltimore School Police Officer Seen Slapping Young Man In Video

http://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2016/03/01/baltimore-school-police-officer-seen-slapping-young-man-in-video/#.VtZetBpBMlc.twitter

A shocking video recorded at a city school. Now the head of the Baltimore school police force is on administrative leave–and two of his officers reassigned–for what was caught on tape.

Ava-joye Burnett explains what happened.

The school system didn’t even know about the video until WJZ brought it to their attention. They are appalled at what they saw–an officer hitting and kicking a young man.

Profanity laced and slap after slap–even a kick–video recorded at Reach Partnership High has people outraged.

“He’s lucky that wasn’t my little brother because I would be in jail right now. He had no right doing that,” said David Lucas.

WJZ has now learned the chief of Baltimore City school police, Marshall Goodwin, has been placed on administrative leave.

Baltimore City schools says it didn’t even know about the video until WJZ called them asking for an explanation.

“I was totally appalled at what I saw today,” said Karl Perry, chief officer of school supports.

School leaders told WJZ that the police officer seen landing hit after hit will not be in the building Wednesday morning. He’s been reassigned until the investigation is complete.

“I’m a parent, and I’m totally appalled at what I saw in that video. No matter what the circumstances are, I am totally appalled,” said Perry.

Reach Partnership is one of only seven high schools in the city that has a school police officer dedicated to the building. School officials say it’s not because of violence in the facility; it’s because of the sheer size of the building.

It’s not clear what led up to the very first slap or what happened after the camera stopped rolling, but the video–just seconds long–is making people ask: how could this happen at a school?

“If it was my son, I would be highly upset, asking questions, wanting to know what happened prior to it,” said Gary Payne, “But still, nobody deserves to get their hands put on them like that.”

The school system doesn’t know if the young man seen getting slapped is a student at the school, but the person who recorded the video told WJZ the victim does, in fact, go there.

Baltimore City schools also did not identify the school police officer because it’s a personnel matter.

[Kätzchen]

Andrea, have you already posted about Sandra Bland? I just came across a news story about her. Apparently the Texas Dept. Of Public Safety has fired the Texas State Trooper who wrongfully arrested Sandra. Video evidence captured showed that the opposite was true: That the officer escalated the event and he physically assaulted Sandra, then wrongfully arrested her. Sandra died in jail for something she didn't do. : (

https://photographyisnotacrime.com/2...-traffic-stop/

[Andrea]

Originally Posted by Kätzchen

Andrea, have you already posted about Sandra Bland? I just came across a news story about her. Apparently the Texas Dept. Of Public Safety has fired the Texas State Trooper who wrongfully arrested Sandra. Video evidence captured showed that the opposite was true: That the officer escalated the event and he physically assaulted Sandra, then wrongfully arrested her. Sandra died in jail for something she didn't do. : (

https://photographyisnotacrime.com/2...-traffic-stop/

I believe I posted something pages ago but her story is very important. She did nothing wrong and should never have been arrested. The video of her arrest is the only reason any justice can be achieved in her death.

[*Anya*]

Originally Posted by Andrea

Grand jury decides against indictments in Sandra Bland case

http://www.cnn.com/2015/12/21/us/sandra-bland-no-indictments/index.html

A grand jury in the case of Sandra Bland has decided not to return any indictments, according to Darrell Jordan, a special prosecutor handling the case.

Bland, an African-American woman, was found dead in her cell three days after she was arrested for allegedly failing to use her turn signal on July 10. She was 28.

Officials in Waller County, Texas, have said she hanged herself with a plastic bag. Her family and others have questioned that account.

Her case attracted widespread attention amid national discussions about excessive force and the role of race in policing.

Originally Posted by Kätzchen

Andrea, have you already posted about Sandra Bland? I just came across a news story about her. Apparently the Texas Dept. Of Public Safety has fired the Texas State Trooper who wrongfully arrested Sandra. Video evidence captured showed that the opposite was true: That the officer escalated the event and he physically assaulted Sandra, then wrongfully arrested her. Sandra died in jail for something she didn't do. : (

https://photographyisnotacrime.com/2...-traffic-stop/

Kätzchen, I did not know that they fired the Trooper that arrested and assaulted her. Everything about that traffic stop was wrong and that it ultimately resulted in her death (as so many others have) is a tragedy.

[Andrea]

Ala. Officer Charged With Murder in Death of Unarmed Black Man

http://www.theroot.com/articles/news/2016/03/ala_officer_charged_with_murder_in_death_of_unarme d_black_man.html


Montgomery County District Attorney Daryl Bailey charged Montgomery, Ala., Police Officer Aaron Smith with murder Wednesday in the fatal shooting of an unarmed black man outside his mother’s house.

“I will do everything in my power to protect a police officer who is operating within the law,” Bailey said Wednesday, CBS News reports. “I will also use every ounce of my power to prosecute a police officer who is acting outside of the law.”

Bailey added that Smith, 23, was in custody, with bond set at $150,000.

On Feb. 25 around 3:20 a.m., 58-year-old Greg Gunn was walking to his mother’s house, where he lived, after playing cards at a neighbor’s home. Officer Smith stopped Gunn, reportedly for looking “suspicious.” Within minutes, Smith had shot Gunn dead.

“I want to be crystal clear that the arrest that is being made today is in no way an indictment on the Montgomery Police Department,” Bailey said. “In fact, 99.9 percent of the Montgomery police officers do an exceptional job on a daily basis protecting us and our community. They are, in fact, the thin blue line between order and chaos.”

Civil rights activist Jamel Brown told WAKA that black men can’t be afraid to walk in their own neighborhoods without feeling threatened by police.

“You were telling 17-, 18-, and 15-year-old black boys that they can’t walk in their neighborhood at three and four o’clock in the morning without having to be charged with a looks suspicious,” he said. “No, we’ve got to change that type of dominion—we want to bridge the gap between the police agency and the black community in Montgomery.”

[*Anya*]

Julie Wolfe and Ryan Kruger , WMAZ 8:59 AM. EST March 11, 2016

ATLANTA -- Days before he died, Chase Sherman was in his brother's wedding. Laughing, joking, loving the sea and making a living boating. Even as his family made their way through customs on the return trip from the Dominican Republic, he joked about his passport photo with the customs agent. Hours later, he was in the throes of a mental breakdown. He thought he was being kidnapped by his own parents. And then, he was dead.

"His parents did what everybody is supposed to do, you call 911, because 911 brings help. But in the case of Chase, 911 brought death," attorney L. Chris Stewart said.

Chase's parents stood beside the attorney, calling for charged to be filed against the Coweta County deputies involved in the confrontation

In November 2015, less than a month before his 33rd birthday, as they were traveling home, Chase told his mother he had taken Spice earlier, but not on the trip.

Spice, also known as K2, synthetic marijuana, and potpourri, was officially banned by the DEA as a Class I drug in 2013. Incidents of extreme agitation, psychotic episodes, hallucinations, and even heart attacks have been documented in users.

After going through customs at Hartsfield-Jackson airport, Chase's parents say he became agitated and did not want to get back on the plane to continue their trip home to Destin, Florida. Instead, the family decided to rent a car and drive. Worried about his condition, they called 911 in Atlanta. Atlanta police responded to the call, and according to the family "they were a great help." They helped calm him down, spoke with his parents about the plan to get home, and helped them to the car.

As the family was driving home and passing through Coweta County, Chase had another episode. Kevin Sherman told his wife Mary Ann to call 911. "It was a terrible scene," Kevin said. "He told the 911 operator he didn't know anybody in the car, he was being kidnapped, help him."

"They got one handcuff on, then tased him again, and got the other handcuff on," Mary Ann said. "I told them, 'Don't shoot him!' At that time, they told us to get out of the car."

"Homicide," Attorney Stewart said. "And those aren't my words, these are the official words of the death certificate." A copy of that death certificate provided to 11Alive News by the Sherman family listed the cause of death as, "sudden death during an altercation with law enforcement with several trigger pulls of an electronic control device, prone positioning on the floor of a motor vehicle and compression of the torso by the body weight if another individual."

The family says the real blow came after Chase stopped breathing. They say the EMT on scene did little to help "just 20 chest compressions, or so", and then the deputies high-fived each other in front of his parents. "Like he was a trophy they got off the street," Kevin said.

"They both told me they had to protect themselves, I mean, what were they protecting themselves from? He was already handcuffed. He was unarmed. What did they have to protect themselves from?" Mary Ann asked.

"Is this how we treat those who are having a mental breakdown? Is this how we treat those that are mentally ill?" their attorney asked.

The GBI told 11Alive's Ryan Kruger their investigation is complete and has been turned over to the Coweta County D.A. 11Alive has contacted the Coweta County Sheriff's Office for a comment, but have not yet heard back. Sheriff Mike Yeager has previously publicly stated the deputies were acting to defend themselves.

http://www.13wmaz.com/news/family-at...fived/77499428