On January 3, the cousin of one of the creators of the Black Lives Matter movement (Vidas Negras Importam, in the Portuguese translation), was killed after a police approach in the city of Los Angeles, in the United States. Keenan Anderson was black, 31 years old, and had a cardiac arrest after being hit by a police stun gun.
The case only became public this week, after the release of images captured by the body cameras of the police officers responsible for the approach. In the video, Keenan runs from officers after being involved in a car accident.
The agent gives the order for him to stop. He doesn’t obey and the police knock him to the ground, immobilize him and start firing the stun gun.
Keenan screams for help, says he is dying and compares himself to George Floyd, who died on May 25, 2020, suffocated during a police approach, also in the United States.
In a statement posted on social media, Los Angeles police said Keenan was very resistant and officers “fighted him using a taser. [arma de choque] and body weight” to try to contain it.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass issued a public statement once the images were made public expressing her sympathies with Keenan’s family and also urging the Los Angeles Police Department to be as transparent as possible. She stated that the need to reduce the use of force in general is urgent. “I have no tolerance for excessive force,” she said.
Repercussion
The case gained wide repercussions on social media. Netizens angry at the situation have compared Keenan’s death to that of George Floyd and are asking for justice. His cousin, Patrisse Cullors, also spoke out on social media after the case went public:
View this post on Instagram
“This is my cousin Keenan Anderson. He was killed by LAPD in Venice on January 3, 2023. My cousin was an educator and worked with school age children. He was an English teacher.
Los Angeles police have killed three people this year. One of them is a member of my family.
Keenan deserves to be alive right now, his son deserves to be raised by his father. Keenan, we will fight for you and all of our loved ones affected by state violence.
I love you”
See the images of the approach, released by the LAPD:
* Under supervision
Source: CNN Brasil
Bruce Belcher is a seasoned author with over 5 years of experience in world news. He writes for online news websites and provides in-depth analysis on the world stock market. Bruce is known for his insightful perspectives and commitment to keeping the public informed.
