A list of unarmed black men and boys killed by law enforcement
The death of a New York man who died after being placed in a chokehold by members of the New York Police Department has once again reminded us of the injustice that plagues African Americans.
Here’s a list of unarmed black men and boys who lost their lives at the hands of police as published on The Root.
ERIC GARNER
Outrage continues to mount over the death of Eric Garner, 43, who died on Thursday, July 17, 2014, after a New York City Police Department officer put him in a “chokehold” on a sidewalk in broad daylight in front of concerned bystanders. Stunning cellphone video recorded by a passerby shows at least five officers piling onto an unarmed Garner, who suffered from asthma and diabetes and could be heard repeatedly shouting, “I can’t breathe, I can’t breathe.” Police Commissioner Bill Bratton has said that the maneuver used by the officer “would appear to have been a chokehold,” which was banned by the department 20 years ago.
In light of the death of Garner, a father of six, The Root reviews incidents in which black men and boys without weapons lost their lives to law-enforcement officers or others who decided that they were dangerous enough to die.
Sixteen-year-old Kimani was shot four times in the front and side of his body and three times in the back by two New York City police officers as he left a friend’s birthday party in Brooklyn on March 9, 2013. The only publicly identified eyewitness is standing by her claim that he was empty-handed when he was gunned down.
Click here to read the rest.