22-Year-Old Mother Dies in Police Custody
A 22-year-old mother of a 3-year-old daughter died in police custody on Tuesday, May 10, and the world is silent is about it. The police, the jails, the medical examiners, and the local press have not reported on it.
She is essentially invisible from the Internet, which, in today’s society, means that she almost did not exist.
According to her family, Symone Nicole Marshall was in a terrible car accident on April 26 where her car flipped over several times before landing in a ditch. Instead of being taken to a hospital, she was taken to the Walker County Jail in Huntsville, Texas, which is approximately an hour north of Houston.
Honey, her sister said that someone ran Symone off the road.
“My sister Symone moved to Texas for a fresh start in life a few months ago. She was doing good down there, had a job and was about to buy a house. She’s a beautiful person, never been in trouble before and didn’t deserve this,” said Honey Marshall.
Symone told her sister that her head was hurting and that she kept blacking out.
“I called the jail several times and requested for them to take her to a real hospital and they wouldn’t do so. If they would have this, her death could have been prevented and my sister would still be here. My heart hurts so bad. She was my best friend. I am so angry that they did this to her.”
This particular incident is another added example to the police brutality conversation that is driving America’s societal discourse.
Marshall has been unfortunately added to a list of young black women who have been sent to local jails alive and taken out via stretches and body bags. That list includes Gynnya McMillen, Natasha McKenna, and Sandra Bland who received nationwide attention due to the unanswered questions from the police department.
These are the type of issues that need to generate national press because if we don’t know about them, we cannot ignite change.
(Photo Courtesy: Marshall Family)