get informed.

By ghstdisposal

852 166 47

issues in the world are happening every single day. we need to put an end to the hate in this evil cruel worl... More

AMERICA
WHAT IS ACAB?
PRESIDENT BIDEN UPDATES
BLACK TRANS LIVES MATTER
STOP ASIAN HATE
LGBTQ+
HUMANITY FOR ALL
UPDATES ON CHAUVIN TRIAL
STOP ASIAN HATE PART TWO
UNICEF & YEMEN
FRANCE + UNITED KINGDOM
CLIMATE CHANGE
COVID-19
SHUT DOWN TARGET
ASIAN VIOLENCE III
JUSTICE FOR DAUNTE WRIGHT
VOICES FOR RACIAL JUSTICE
HUNGARY + CUBA
AUTISM
IMMIGRATION
HELPLINES
LATIN AMERICA
CHILE + COLUMBIA
SPAIN + SERBIA
BLM II
MENTAL HEALTH
INDIA + TURKEY
ANIMALS
EQUAL RIGHTS
RELIGION
CHILDREN
CALIFORNIA
VIETNAM
ASIAN WOMEN ALLIANCE
ABOLISH ICE
HURRICANES
MEXICO + PERU
AMERICA II + A.I.
MISSING PERSONS
UPDATES ON CHINESE ROCKET
VENEZUELA + ISLAM
FEMINISM + SEXUAL ASSUALT
PALESTINE
JUNK TERROR BILL
END SARS
POLICE VIOLENCE
ISRAEL + RUSSIA
STOP LINE THREE
ROMANI PEOPLE
CARRIBEAN ISLANDS
CYRPTO COIN UPDATES
TRANS RIGHTS
NEED LEGAL HELP?
SOUTH AFRICA
WEST COAST HEAT WAVE
DIABETES
OTHER PLANETS
JUNETEENTH
AMERICA + CANADA
MENTAL HEALTH
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
GUN VIOLENCE
ARGENTINA + BRAZIL
EUROPE II
CUBA 🇨🇺
BACK TO SCHOOL
END POLICE VIOLENCE
THE PLAGUE
AMERICA PART THREE
CDC UPDATES
DRUG TRAFFICKING/VIOLENT CRIME
AFGHANISTAN / U.S.
SOLAR SYSTEM
HURRICANE IDA
COVID VACCINE UPDATES
LETS MAKE A CHANGE
PHILIPPINES
#PAYUP
Free MENA (Middle East and North Africa)/ SWANA
IRAQ + TURKEY
#FREEMENA🇾🇪
SYRIA + LIBYA
PROTECT BIPOC SEX WORKERS
GABBY PETITO UPDATES
TEXAS ABORTION UPDATES
A pill to treat Covid-19: Myth or Fact?
WILD WEATHER EXPERIENCES
ENDANGERED SPECIES
BAN TROPHY HUNTING!!! ~~
FIND UR LOCAL RALLY TO SAVE WOMENS RIGHTS
WHATS HAPPENING IN PAPUA
Uyghur Muslim Concentration Camps
TIBET + KASHMIR
UNITED KINGDOM
GEN Z: growing up during a pandemic
PFIZER UPDATES
SOLAR FLARE
CHINA
ABORIGINAL LIVES MATTER
Missing and Murdered Indigenous Woman
Help Fight Antisemitism
Flu Virus Strain
UNITED STATES PART THREE
OMICRON UPDATES
NASA UPDATES
ABORTION RIGHTS II
EVERYTHING YNTK ABOUT SA
FEMICIDES IN MEXICO
NETHERLANDS
Anti-Semitism and Anti-Zionism
Alabama Jailbreak
PUBLIC SCHOOL UPDATES
GUN LAWS IN AMERICA
UKRAINE/RUSSIA UPDATES
ISIS leader in Syria killed in drone strike
RUSSIA
MASS SHOOTINGS IN THE U.S.
WILDFIRES IN THE U.S.
THE NEW CLIMATE BILL IN THE U.S.
MONKEY POX
Netflix is not in deep trouble. It's becoming a media company
More human remains discovered in Lake Mead's receding waters
UNITED STATES pt. 3,
RESPECT FOR MARRIAGE ACT
Gender Identity, Sexuality, and Pronouns
CHILE WOKE UP
A year only lasts 17.5 hours on the 'hell planet'
More than 200 cars involved in massive pileup in China's Zhengzhou
'It's all a lie': Russians are trapped in Putin's parallel universe
Covid 'lab leak throry': What we've learned
FORMER PRESIDENT TRUMP UPDATES / HOW AI CAN BE HARMFUL
ELON MUSK UPDATES
Michigan Gov. Whitmer signs gun control package
Abortion Updates (2)
U.S. SCHOLARSHIP OPPURTUNITIES
DISNEY V. DESANTIS
CHINA POPULATION
ISRAEL PALESTINE UPDATES
THE ISRAELI-PALESTINE CONFLICT
Putin banks on wavering support for Ukraine, amid a race against time
What are Palestines? Do your research before making opinions!
HELP FIGHT ANTISEMITISM
SYRIA NEEDS HELP
ISRAEL/PALESTINE PART II
Why Israel's Gaza Evacuation Order is So Alarming
MYANMAR UPDATES
Japan Court Rules Against Mandatory Transgender Sterilization
HAMAS / GAZA UPDATES
U.S. UPDATES
Boston Massuchusetts Murder
Israel/Palestine Updates

BLACK LIVES MATTER

25 8 3
By ghstdisposal

Black prosecutors inspired trust and hope at the Derek Chauvin trial. We need more of them;

Kamala Harris took heat for being a prosecutor, but lawyers of color should not avoid this noble calling. Prosecutors are powerful and should be diverse.
Njeri Mathis RutledgeOpinion columnist
I had no idea I was holding my breath until I let out a deep exhale when I heard the jury had found Derek Chauvin guilty on all counts in killing George Floyd. It was a great day to breathe deeply for Floyd, Eric Garner, Tamir Rice, Aiyana Stanley-Jones, Philando Castile and countless other men, women and children of color who were killed by police but did not receive justice.

Before we move on from the historic Chauvin verdict, I want to highlight an aspect of criminal justice reform that does not get sufficient attention: diversity within the criminal justice system. Reforming this system requires a diversity of voices in positions of power. And I am convinced that there is no greater position of power within the system than that of the prosecutor. A long way from the OJ Simpson trial

The importance of Black prosecutors is frequently ignored. There was tremendous significance in seeing Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison and Jerry Blackwell — two Black attorneys — prosecuting the case against Chauvin. Ellison, the state's first Black attorney general, earned the trust of the Black community. Blackwell took a lead role in examining witnesses and gave the rebuttal closing argument. As a former prosecutor myself, watching Blackwell have the last word in a case about the killing of an unarmed Black man was therapeutic and a moment of great pride. We have come a long way from former prosecutor Christopher Darden and the O.J. Simpson trial that occurred while I was in law school. Darden was frequently vilified for being both a Black man and a prosecutor, as if those identities were mutually exclusive.

Before I started law school, I vividly recall telling a date that I was going to law school to become a prosecutor. I found his response disturbing: So you want to put Black men in jail? he asked.

I ultimately fulfilled my career goal of becoming a prosecutor, and I was proud to do so. Not because I "put Black men in jail," but because I believe my devotion to duty made a positive contribution to our endless struggle to align the aspiration of equal justice under law with reality. Why then wouldn't we want prosecutors with an experience-based appreciation of the flaws in that system? Policing:In wake of Chauvin verdict, a look at policy changes that will curb police behavior

In retrospect, I should not have been surprised. Vice President Kamala Harris was harshly criticized by some for decisions she made as a prosecutor and as California attorney general. Black prosecutors are routinely accused of being a tool in a biased system by some and of being too lenient about criminal justice reforms by others. The reality is that there are few actors in the criminal justice system who have more influence on both respect for law and reform of the process than prosecutors. Bringing commitment and empathy

Aspiring lawyers interested in civil rights and justice should consider serving as prosecutors. Prosecutor's offices need to reflect the diversity of their communities. So far, that is not the case. For instance, only 1.8% of lead prosecutors are women of color. And when there is diversity, sadly, it is not appreciated by everyone. Black female prosecutors, like Baltimore State's Attorney Marilyn Mosby, have been the target of racist threats and hate mail. Black prosecutors bring a unique perspective to their duties, a perspective that ideally helps bridge the chasms between the law enforcement community and the public. Black prosecutors lend credibility to a system where Black Americans are frequently accused of crime. This is because justice is more complex than simply applying a criminal code. It requires an understanding and, yes, an empathy for those caught up in the system. But most important, it requires a commitment to do justice.








SAY THEIR NAMES

please please go to getinformed.carrd.co to blacklivesmatter and sign all these people's petitions. they need our help.

also go to ; www.justiceforblackgirls.com !!!!!!!!!!!!

TODAY AND EVERYDAY WE FIGHT FOR A WORLD THAT HONORS AND PROTECTS THE BLACK GIRL. WE BELIEVE THAT BLACK GIRLS ARE EXPANDERS OF KNOWLEDGE. WE ELEVATE THE VOICES OF BLACK GIRLS.

Justice for Black Girls (JBG) endeavors to elevate the voices of Black girls as the experts and cultivate student activism through our Justice Ambassadors Program. Here we engage Black girls ages 13-18 from all over the country in the academic and policy work that centers Black girlhood. The JBG Ambassadors Program also provides opportunities for Ambassadors to partner with grassroots organizations, higher learning institutions and leading activists, authors, and theorists whose work centers Black girls.

JBG recognizes education as liberation, and endeavors to combat the miseducation of Black girlhood, and the universal suppression of Black girls' experience, through our Black Girlhood Curriculum. Entitled 4LittleGirls, this curriculum is in honor the 4 Black girls who lost their lives in the bombing of 16th Street Baptist Church on September 15th 1963. Our curriculum unapologetically centers Black girlhood and offers learning materials and resources for all tasked with the privilege of safekeeping Black girls.

The Freedom Fighters Fund is designed to provide monetary relief for Black girl activists, like Toyin, who are on the frontlines. This fund allows Black girls to request grants up to $750 for overnight housing, rent relief, food or other life-sustaining supports.

Established in honor of 19 year old activist Oluwatoyin Salua, we recognize that many Black girl activists are fighting for the protection of everyone else without having protection themselves. What we know about oppression and marginalization, is that there is never just one victim. Conversely, there are systems that worked together to ensure that Toyin was rendered powerless to all of the systems she was fighting against. Not anymore- we can't allow Black girls to put their bodies and minds on the frontlines without protection.

Finally our JBG National Conference elevates Black girls as the experts and centers their voice & advocacy. Here, our ambassadors share original presentations to virtual attendees as we center the academic, activist & policy work that centers Black girls. This conference seeks to highlight the critical importance of intersectional efforts that protect Black girlhood. This work is a charge to all who have the privilege of protecting Black girls, may we show up for them in ways that the world has never shown up before. This conference is about pushing folks to actively disrespect the systems that disrespect Black girls. This conference is about recognizing that Black girls are worthy subjects, central to our understanding of girlhood, childhood, and humanity. This conference is about communal pledges to Black girl liberation.

Ultimately, Justice for Black Girls is focused on equipping Black girls with tools not authorized by empowerment- focused on developing self help in the midst of structural degradation, but power- the agency to alter the systems that actively marginalize Black girlhood. We are committed to creating space that enables Black girls to imagine a life beyond the confining structures in which they currently live.

PROTESTER SAFETY:

PROTESTERS WHO GET ARRESTED BY NYPD ARE ALLEGEDLY BEING ASKED QUESTIONS BY THE FBI. HERE'S WHAT TO DO IF THIS HAPPENS TO YOU
.....................
GENERAL INFO
WHAT TO DO IN THE EVENT THAT A POLICE OFFICER SHOWS UP AT YOUR HOUSE AND KNOCKS ON YOUR DOOR
PROTESTING AS A NON-CITIZEN
CANADIAN PROTESTERS, KNOW YOUR RIGHTS
TIPS FOR PROTESTING IN A HIJAB
THREAD ON WHAT TO BRING TO A PROTEST
VIDEO: HOW TO STOP THE BLEED
THREAD ON GOGGLES
WHAT TO WEAR TO A PROTEST AND WHAT TO DO IF YOU GET EXPOSED TO TEAR GAS
CDC PAGE ON RIOT CONTROL AGENTS & TEAR GAS
RIOT MANUAL
TWITTER THREAD ON HOW TO PROTEST
MORE INFO ON TEAR GAS
THREAD ON VPNS
RIOT MEDICINE: VERY DETAILED DOCUMENT ON MEDICAL CARE FOR PROTESTS
MULTI-THREAD ON DIGITAL SECURITY
THREAD: SECURITY AND AWARENESS ARE IMPORTANT
THREAD ON RIOT CONTROL CHEMICALS
THREAD ON RIOT CONTROL PROJECTILES
THREAD: HOW TO CREATE A SAFE SOCIAL MEDIA PRESENCE TO ORGANIZE
COMMUNICATION APPS YOU SHOULD BE USING
DON'T USE GOOGLE DOCS TO ORGANIZE. HERE ARE SOME ALTERNATIVES
NATL RESOURCE LIST BY THIS TWITTER USER

PLEASE TURN VPN ON YOUR PHONES NOT ONLY DURING PROTESTS THEY PROTECT YOU DAILY!

MOST ICE OR KKK MEMBERS OR POLICE USE TEAR GAS PLEASE ALWAYS BE CAREFUL!

FROM TWITTER: "Seeing lots of *not great* advice about teargas on my feed! From years experience with US made teargas in Palestine, here's my two cents: don't put water on your skin or face unless you have a steady stream like a shower. It'll feel good for a sec then burn more than before!" -Rana Nazzal
Also:
"The reason things like milk/yogurt help is cause they have a cooling effect. Don't rub your eyes, don't touch your face. When you're gassed, the chemicals stay on your skin & clothing and spread to anything you touch. Saline wash your face then cold shower when youre home."
Your clothes will be covered in the teargas chemical and can still burn your skin & eyes days later. If you sit on your couch when you get home you've contaminated your furniture so make sure to throw all your protest clothes in the wash right away.
The best thing you can do with teargas is stay calm. Teargas tricks your brain into thinking it can't breathe so staying calm is key. Strong smells help remind your brain that it can breathe so bring alcohol wipes or alcohol based perfume and put it on the inside of your scarf.
Most dangerous teargas injury is being hit with the canister (when fired out of a gun). Like bullets, they can kill. Unlike bullets, teargas travels slow enough to watch it coming so don't turn & run when they start firing. Watch them shoot it  & dodge. Move calmly upwind.

PLEASE BE CAREFUL AND STAY SAFE !!!



WE DEMAND JUSTICE!

WE ARE DEMANDING JUSTICE FOR VICTIMS OF POLICE BRUTALITY

We've collected a list of unarmed victims of police officers, and provided pre-written email drafts for contacting the relevant elected officials. Try sending an email!

Please start by clicking on a state you're interested in seeing cases for.

Most cases from: mappingpoliceviolence.

policeaccountability.neocities.org !!!!!

it lists every state in America.

Justice For Yvette Smith
8,754 have signed. Let's get to 10,000!

Joi Miller
Joi Miller signed 3 hours ago
Alice Russell
Alice Russell signed 3 hours ago

Jessa Gibson started this petition to Bastrop County PD and 1 other
On the 16th of January 2014, mother of 3 Yvette Smith was shot in her friend's home by Daniel Willis, the officer coming to settle a disturbance. She was trying to stop a disagreement between a father and son by calling 911.
The disagreement was settled before the officers arrived. The owner of the home Mr. Willie Thomas was outside when police arrived and demanded all other residents come outside as well. Yvette Smith was shot three seconds after the door was opened as shown by body camera footage. She was shot twice by the deputy sheriff's with his personal AR-15 semi automatic assault rifle. The officers claimed she threatened them with a gun despite no weapons being found within the home. The dispatcher claimed the opposite and Thomas said it was false information. The police statement said Yvette was disregarding the officers' orders and carrying a firearm.

Relatives of Yvette said she was a kind woman and would never purposely disrespect nor taunt law officials in any way. Bastrop County and the area around Yvette's residence was conservative and law respecting. Daniel Willis was hired by Travis County and not yet suited for explosive situations. In April 2016, he was found not guilty of murder and later sued Bastrop County because his rights were violated. He claims he was not relayed vital information in order to handle the situation. As stated previously, he didn't have the training to handle the situation in anyway.
The civil case the family filed for wrongful death was settled with 1.22 million in compensation. However, Daniel Willis still walks a free man who killed an innocent unarmed black woman.

More information can be found in these articles.
https://4wardeveruk.org/cases/cases-abroad/shootings/yvette-smith/
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.kxan.com/news/local/bastrop-county/fired-bastrop-county-deputy-who-shot-woman-claims-his-civil-rights-were-violated/amp/



THE TRAYVON MARTIN LAW - STOP THIS FROM HAPPENING AGAIN

On February 26, 2012, Trayvon bought a pack of skittles for his 12 years old soon to be stepbrother and a can of Arizona Iced tea for himself and begin to walk home. On his way home, George Zimmerman, the neighborhood watch coordinator at the Retreat at Twin Lakes, profiled him, labeled him as suspicious, and begin to follow him. Trayvon saw Zimmerman following him, and he began to run. Zimmerman told a 911 operator that Trayvon was running. Then he got out of his car to follow him on foot. George Zimmerman was carrying a loaded, concealed weapon while he followed Trayvon, who was unarmed. Trayvon Benjamin Martin didn't make it home that night because George Zimmerman murdered him.
Zimmerman wasn't arrested the night of the murder because Florida Statute 776.032 (2) States that a police officer cannot detain you or arrest you for shooting someone unless they have probable cause to believe the force you used was unlawful or if you shoot a police officer while they're in the act of performing their duties. Law Enforcement didn't arrest Zimmerman the night of the murder because they claimed they didn't have probable cause.
However, George Zimmerman admitted to profiling Trayvon, he admitted to following Trayvon, and he changed his story numerous times during police interrogations. The Detective admitted that George Zimmerman was an overzealous vigilante who took the law into his own hands and that Zimmerman over-exaggerated his injuries. They had probable cause that night, but they let Zimmerman go, and they let him claim Self-Defense.
Then people all over the world marched and signed petitions to get Justice for Trayvon. Finally, On April 11, 2012, almost 2 months after Trayvon's murder, Zimmerman was arrested and charged with Second-degree Murder. However, on July 13, 2013, a jury found him not guilty of Second-degree Murder or Manslaughter. Then to make matters worse, on July 15, 2013, Juror B37 admitted that George Zimmerman went too far, that he didn't use good judgment, and that he should have stayed in his car. Yet she voted him not guilty.
This Petition calls for Florida Statute 776.041 (2) (A) to be redacted or revised.
776.041 (2) (A) allows an aggressor to use deadly force even though they started the aggressive act, confrontation or altercation.
776.041 Use of force by aggressor.—The justification described in the preceding sections of this chapter is not available to a person who:
(1) Is attempting to commit, committing, or escaping after the commission of, a forcible felony; or
(2) Initially provokes the use of force against himself or herself, unless:
(a) Such force is so great that the person reasonably believes that he or she is in imminent danger of death or great bodily harm and that he or she has exhausted every reasonable means to escape such danger other than the use of force which is likely to cause death or great bodily harm to the assailant; or
(b) In good faith, the person withdraws from physical contact with the assailant and indicates clearly to the assailant that he or she desires to withdraw and terminate the use of force, but the assailant continues or resumes the use of force.
Also, this Petition calls for the Neighborhood Watch Handbooks to be revised. The current handbooks aren't detailed enough and leave too much room for misinterpretation. The revised handbooks should include specific do's and don'ts for its members, and local or state laws that they must abide by while they're performing their duties. The revised handbook should also include rules that the Coordinator must follow. Not specifying these rules can lead a regular citizen to believe that they have the power to make Law enforcement decisions.
Most importantly, it calls for a new law to be made in Trayvon's name. A law that will prevent someone from claiming self-defense after they've done the following:
TRAYVON MARTIN LAW
1. Unless you are a member of Law enforcement, you are not allowed to chase an unknown person while you are carrying a concealed weapon. Unless that person has harmed you or they are attempting to cause bodily harm to you or someone else. Following, chasing or confronting an unknown person, who is in an authorized area or public area while you have a weapon waives your right to claim self-defense should said person end up dead. An aggressor carrying a deadly or concealed weapon can't claim self-defense if they follow, chase, or confront an unknown person who isn't in the act of committing a violent crime towards them or anyone else, and that person ends up dead. If you think said person is suspicious, contact law enforcement instead of taking the law into your own hands.
2. Unless you're a member of Law Enforcement; following, chasing or confronting someone who has not caused you bodily harm or attempted to cause you or someone else bodily harm, while you are carrying a deadly weapon will be considered an aggressive act in itself; because that act alone automatically puts said person in fear of their life. An aggressor carrying a deadly weapon enters the situation with more force than their victim has. Therefore they have an advantage over their victim who doesn't have access to the amount of force needed to stand their ground or protect themselves from the aggressor.
3. Following, chasing or confronting an unknown person while carrying a deadly weapon, should be seen as an aggressive or threatening act because you are putting that person in fear of their life. Also, you shouldn't be allowed to claim self-defense should that person end up dead as a result of the escalation of that act. Should that act lead to their death, you should be charged with the highest degree of murder applicable to you or manslaughter.
4. An adult carrying a deadly weapon waives their right to claim self-defense if they follow, chase, or confront an unknown minor, and that minor ends up dead or injured. Unless that minor has caused bodily harm to them or someone else or is attempting to cause bodily harm to them or someone else.

If you have questions, contact me at SonyaParker.com or on Twitter @SlimPhatty

LETS PASS THIS LAW!

Justice for Shania L. Wilson
28,565 have signed. Let's get to 35,000!
www.change.org/shaniawilson

Shania's Letter
(A Single Weekend)

Shania carried great hugs, gifted to all who accepted. She loved smiles and enjoyed smiling more. She could brighten up a room in seconds, and if the room wasn't talking then she was talking to herself. Carrying such beauty could only inhabit introverted ways, but she never feared a conversation with any human. A fearless young woman indeed, and it was unfortunate that her passing was due to heavy misunderstandings and discriminatory treatment towards her mainly because of her intellectual disabilities, and so they downplayed her and the extremity of the situation because they lacked physician's eyes. Shania's twenty-first birthday was months away, and she was excited about enjoying her life and moving into the next chapter wanting to become an advocate, living at Building Independence apartments with two other roommate, she were planning for her high school graduation & future at Wake Tech. Sadly, she passed away in the back of an ambulance that waited nearly 20 minutes to leave after packing her and her mother into the truck. Her brother waited calmly in the car, waiting for an abrupt takeoff. Shania had moments in her life that it became a struggle to fully explain her pain to physicians, but after 4 check-ups and 2 days (Friday, Saturday) Shania passed on the next morning of. That morning her skin was pale and lips dry, but yet the people spoke as if she was completely fine. The call was handled inappropriately and when given that tape, her mother was given a chopped version. It was bizarre. Like watching common reality turn against you, and through all the crying and a lady calming down her mother, it was a room full of doctors, and her brother stared her down wondering if she was in pain. He says, "She is strong, and I vow to be just as strong one day." Her mother had believed 4 trips to the hospital were enough, and every time was a basic pat on the back. Each time, Shania grew weary and grew pains like none other. After a while moving around came in very sharp pains and a simple weekend became the passing of a beautiful girl named, Shania Wilson. Nearly dragged off the couch, not carefully handled. The mistreatment of someone because you may not understand their behavior is outward wrong. A quick judgment could be the end of someone's life, and if that were your child you would have lots to say about the witnessed neglect and passionless direction of the healthcare system.
"The healthcare system failed my daughter... a vibrant, smart, and happy beautiful black young woman."
-Shania's mother
The unfair, non protective, and unequal attributes for those with disabilities within the healthcare system, has caused countless unforgettable and unnecessary deaths. Not only is this present in the black communities, but is common in all communities across the United States. I am creating this petition to give a voice to the voiceless and I hope that no child will have to endure what my daughter went through and no parents will have to experience the death of their child in this way. I will be introducing an idea for a bill, to local congressmen, that will protect anyone, with a disability, who is nonverbal or is unable to fully explain enough of what's going on with them in an emergency situation. Also to amendment the North Carolina's Senate Bill 33 allowing healthcare professional to be held responsible for their mistakes. You can support by signing this petition, and hopefully bring justice towards my daughters story and gratefully, one day, begin to hold the healthcare professionals responsible for the necessities of respectful and honorable care.
Thank you, everyone

we cannot keep losing lives of our people :/

Rodney Reed is innocent. Exonerate and send him home.

Update: On November 15, 2019, with 5 days before Rodney Reed was scheduled to die, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals unanimously blocked his execution, and remanded his case back to the 21st District Court of Bastrop, Texas for a new hearing to examine new evidence, new witnesses, Brady violations, and Rodney's claims of actual innocence, which is a chance for him to clear his name and be exonerated. Our work is just beginning and we must keep pressure on those with the power to continue doing the right thing.

Dear Governor Greg Abbott:
1. Rodney Reed is innocent.
2. The State relied on expert testimony to convict Rodney Reed that has since been recanted BY THE EXPERTS who put forth the testimony.
Three renown medical examiners have concluded it is "medically impossible" for Stacey Stites to have been killed at the time the state says she died. This alone exonerates Rodney Reed. Reed was convicted based on forensic expert testimony that has now been recanted by the scientists and agencies that offered the evidence on behalf of the State. In fact, leading forensic pathologists have concluded that it would be "medically and scientifically impossible" for Reed to have murdered Stites. This new forensic evidence (which the State hasn't contradicted) indicates that Stites was murdered at a time that her fiance, local police officer Jimmy Fennell, testified that he was alone with Stites in their apartment. Fennell recently completed a ten-year prison sentence after he plead guilty to felony charges arising out of the kidnapping and sexual assault of a women he encountered while on patrol as a Georgetown, Texas police officer. Rodney Reed is innocent and should be exonerated, not executed.

3. We hate to say it, but, Rodney Reed is the victim of racism and was framed for a crime he didn't commit.
4. ALL OF THE EVIDENCE implicates *somebody else* was the real killer. And that somebody else failed two polygraph exams about his role in the murder, and he has continued to be a violent offender and assaulted others in the same way - kidnapping, sexual assault and choking with a belt.
5. Rodney Reed, and the Reed family, have suffered enough.
6. Sometimes our court system makes mistakes, and this case is a prime example of those injustices of what happens when the system fails.
7. Due to these mistakes, there's been no justice for the victim, Stacey Stites, and the real killer has continued to be a serial violent offender.
8. We need you to hear us, review this case, and find it in your heart to do what's right.
9. You promised Texas wouldn't ever kill an innocent person. You're the only person who can keep this promise by stopping the execution of Rodney Reed.
10. If prosecutors followed the evidence, and the evidence only, Rodney Reed wouldn't even be a suspect in this case, let alone become indicted. There's absolutely no evidence that indicts Rodney Reed. Please exonerate Rodney Reed.

On Friday, April 24, 42-year-old Michael Ramos died after being fired upon by APD officers as he attempted to leave the scene of an encounter at an apartment complex near Oltorf and Pleasant Valley in Southeast Austin. Bystander video shared on social media shows that one of the two officers engaging Ramos fired at him with a non-lethal bean bag – while his hands were in the air. Ramos then got back in his car and began driving away, at which point the second officer fired his rifle at Ramos. He was taken to the hospital where he died that evening.

We have had enough.

We want the city of Austin to know, DA Margaret Moore, Mayor Adler to know that we will not forget, we want justice and reform of APD policies and procedures in there interactions with Black people as well as other minorities and we want representation in leadership.

*****Update June 3, 2020 4 p.m. CST*****
Brad Levi Ayala - a teenage boy who was peacefully protesting last weekend, May 30-31, 2020 was seriously injured by APD.

Brad's Story:

Brad Levi Ayala, 16, was shot in the head with a plastic coated bullet by the Austin Police Department (APD) while participating in a demonstration against police brutality on Saturday in honor of Mike Ramos and George Floyd.

Ayala was standing, viewing the protests from a hill when he was struck by the plastic coated bullet, he was not engaged in any confrontation with the police and had been keeping a considerable distance. Eyewitnesses on the scene expressed that while some of the police were firing indiscriminately at protesters, others were deliberate and picked out those standing further away, using them for "target practice."

According to Ayala's older sister, "He was standing quietly on a hill when a rubber bullet hit him in the head. He is recovering and stable but the recovery will be a long process." APD has shown that they will respond with violence to anyone challenging their history of murder and abuse.

Saturday's demonstration was organized by the Mike Ramos Brigade who has called for another protest on Thursday in honor of those wounded and in critical condition from the police violence over the weekend protests as well as to demand people's justice for Mike Ramos and George Floyd. APD has launched a Public Relations Campaign in an attempt to humanize their inhuman actions, groups like the Mike Ramos Brigade see through this, according to the event page, "When people pour into the streets to denounce the racist pigs who murder our friends and loved ones, these pigs respond by attempting to murder more of them right in front of us."

Ayala's brother Edwin Sanchez told ruling class media outlet CBS Austin, "I saw police officers not seeing the humanity in him— not seeing the kindness that he is— not seeing him for what I see. They saw a monster and they treated him like that," he was clear that this is not a random attack but one of a racist character, "It's not just my brother. It's countless teenagers who look just like him. They're treating them like animals... like monsters and that's not okay."

Ayala's family has launched a fundraiser to help cover his medical bills. Ayala is a working class youth, who has stood bravely and been seriously injured, Tribune asks that our readers make a donation.

Many other protesters were injured this weekend by APD including an unnamed 20 year old Black man, now in critical condition. Multiple people were shot in the head and face with plastic coated bullets, intentionally by APD. The police have proven to thousands of demonstrators this weekend that they are nothing but an army of the rich used to commit crimes against the poor.

Payroll records show that Austin Police Department paid over $7 million in overtime related to the protests during the May Uprisings last year in the wake of the murders of George Floyd and Mike Ramos. Officers were paid time and a half to brutalize protesters and guard property, for a total of 108,051 protest-related overtime hours.

Austin Police Association president Ken Casady describes the overtime worked as "ungodly... it went on for so long" in a hollow attempt to garner sympathy for the time officers spent violently repressing the people.

APD's use of 'less lethal' force sent nineteen people to the hospital in just two days, and injured many more as protests continued. Among those hospitalized due to police brutality were 16-year-old Brad Levi Ayala and 20-year-old Justin Howell, who both suffered brain damage after being shot in the head by rubber bullets, and Tyree Talley, a deaf man shot twelve times by rubber bullets at close range.

Throughout the course of the May Uprisings, APD used a variety of violent tactics in an attempt to repress the people's anger, shooting tear gas and rubber bullets at close range into the crowd as well as at far-off protesters in a manner described by eyewitnesses as "target practice."

The numbers and militancy of the people taking to the streets against this very kind of brutality caused APD to commit all available resources to their repression. The ruling class for its part is content to pay this nominal amount of money relative to their wealth in order to suppress rebellion and defend their private property.

Austin: Police Chief Manley Resigns, Victory of the People

Last week, Austin police chief Brian Manley announced his resignation months after the people of Austin demanded that he leave the department. These demands escalated last summer when Austin made national news during the May Uprisings for the brutal response from police towards protesters. Manley has announced his resignation during a lull in anti-police brutality protests, stating he would officially leave the department on March 28.

Manley led Austin police as interim chief starting in November 2016 after former APD chief Art Acevedo left to take the top police post in Houston. After a series of bombings in the spring of 2018 that killed two people and injured several others, he was quickly appointed permanent chief and applauded by politicians and liberals at the time for his handling of the response.

Manley was born and raised in Austin and began his career as a patrol officer 30 years ago. As chief, he received wide support from inside the department, since promotion to the top position from within the ranks of a police department is rare.

Public support waned for Chief Manley, particularly in 2019 after he permitted former assistant chief Justin Newsom to retire with a hefty benefits package made up of accrued sick time right before reports emerged that he used racist language against Black people for over a decade.

Manley becoming police chief marked a change in police tactics regarding protests. During the reign of his predecessor, APD used low-intensity tactics attempting to 'guide' non-permitted protests. Under Manley, the police would brutalize and shut down street protests. Nonetheless, APD were often overtaken by protesters in the May Uprisings, which were relentless in their justified outrage. Police launched tear gas and 'less-lethal' rounds at protesters in response, seriously injuring several people. This caused even greater outrage, and demands for Manley's resignation by community organizations and protesters gained traction.

Manley feigned compassion for those injured by Austin police while pledging before Austin City Council that they would never use so-called 'less-lethal' rounds on protesters again. It was later reported that contracts with a supplier for these 'less lethal' rounds had been secured the day before. Tribune of the People has documented APD's readiness to use such munitions against protesters only days after Manley's false promises.

Politicians responded to community demands by making empty gestures to show their displeasure with Manley while shirking any real responsibility for removing him, stating that under state law only the city manager could demote the chief from that position. City Manager Spencer Cronk refused to take any action against Manley.

While this is a superficial change in terms of the capitalist police forces protecting the rich, the people succeeded in forcing Manley's resignation due to their justified hatred for him. Manley for his part timed his resignation in a petty effort to rob the protesters of their victory, and did so to prevent inspiring more protests.

Figures like Manley and Cronk oversee and are responsible for the police shootings and killings in Austin, and successfully pushing Manley to resign is a victory. These bourgeois agents are in contradiction with each other, and the next police chief should continue to receive the same relentless vitriol from the people. Whether the police resort to the low-intensity tactics used by Acevedo, or the hands-on brutal repression used by Manley, protesters and militants know well that the role of the police is to suppress and abuse the people, and as such are enemies of the people.

+

the system needs to change.

UPCOMING!

ON APRIL 25th 2021;


SUNDAY, 4/25 3PM
PAN PACIFIC PARK
7600 BEVERLY BLVD.
Let's demand justice in the name of #GeorgeFloyd.

Rally and march in the name of #GeorgeFloyd and so many others. Stand together to demand an end to police violence and a fundamentally reimagined system of public safety.

#DefundThePolice #ReimaginePublicSafety #BlackLivesMatter


SUNDAY, 4/25 3PM
PAN PACIFIC PARK
7600 BEVERLY BLVD.
Let's demand justice in the name of #GeorgeFloyd.

Rally and march in the name of #GeorgeFloyd and so many others. Stand together to demand an end to police violence and a fundamentally reimagined system of public safety.

#DefundThePolice #ReimaginePublicSafety #BlackLivesMatter



Cyntoia Brown Is Getting Back The Childhood She & So Many Young Black Girls Never Had:

The cruel joke of being a poor black girl in the South is that you are grown before you ask to be, and your childhood slips away before you can spell. Black girls are not given the kindness that southern gentility cultivates for white girls who make a few bad choices. Instead, black women and girls like Cyntoia Brown are jailed, punished, and killed for trying to survive in a world in which they were never meant to last.

In 2006, at the age of 16, Brown was sentenced to life in prison as an adult for shooting and killing Johnny Allen. Brown testified in her appeals hearing that she had been abused, raped, and forced into survival sex work, and said she shot Allen in fear for her life when she thought he reached for a gun after he paid her for sex.

For the past 15 years, Brown was incarcerated in a Tennessee prison, but this January, news broke that she would be released in seven months after outgoing Republican Gov. Bill Haslam granted her a full commutation. She was officially released from prison Wednesday at age 31 and will serve 10 years of parole.

"At the crux of Cyntoia Brown's story and her criminalization, we all can recognize that this baby does not belong in a cage at all and never did belong in a cage," Brianna Baker, a teacher and the founder of Justice for Black Girls, tells Bustle. "She hasn't had access to her girlhood for her entire life. Yes, we take the victory, but it's bittersweet."

Brown's story is one of personal perseverance but also one of the power and strength of community organizing. The news of Brown's commutation prompted a wail of relief from the black folks who have been on the frontlines of advocacy work around her case since 2011.

The Nashville chapter of Black Lives Matter, along with Color of Change, the #MeToo Movement, and The Highlander Center, had taken on the task of fighting for Brown. These groups worked in coalition with countless individual activists to build a nonstop organizing strategy that uplifted Brown's story and also helped push Haslam to grant her clemency.

"My favorite moments were our interruption of Governor Haslam, our street blockade in downtown Nashville, and our banner drop on December 25. It doesn't matter how many police they send to intimidate us ... there is always this visceral energy that pulsates through the folks that stand with you," says MarTaze Gaines, who worked around the clock with other BLM Nashville organizers Brittany Paschall and Justin Lang.

"She hasn't had access to her girlhood for her entire life. Yes, we take the victory, but it's bittersweet."
Although people online criticized Brown's commutation and asked if this is what justice really looks like, with many expressing that Brown should've received full clemency and had her record completely expunged, local organizers are looking to appreciate this win as simply that — a win.

"I think it's important to pause, and just do just that — celebrate," Lang tells Bustle. "The wins allow us to show love to all of those who we collectively won with. The wins energize us to continue doing more work."

Brown's release from prison on Wednesday brings that power of community organizing and the strength of a personal narrative together. One could not happen without the other.

While others were fighting for her, Brown also had to fight for herself. Her tenacity to survive is the reason she is free today. Throughout her time in prison, she advocated fiercely for a retrial even after her sentencing in 2006. Her strength is not a misnomer, but a necessary skill to live another day as a black woman. Brown is a woman full of agency, awareness, and strength that was birthed from years of abuse and marginalization.

And her story is not out of the ordinary. There are dozens of campaigns across the country of communities advocating for black women and girls who have been incarcerated for trying to survive inhumane conditions. Girls like Masonique Saunders, a young woman in Ohio who was wrongfully charged for her boyfriend's death after a police officer shot and killed him, are locked in cages all across the country. Whether it be in classrooms, jails, prisons, or even workspaces, black women are always being policed for how they exist in the world.

Audre Lorde said it best. "Without community, there is no liberation." This moment in history would not exist without the full-bodied effort of folks from all across the country. But it also would not exist without Brown's will to survive.

This moment is a win that gives Brown back the childhood she was never allowed to touch. While her commutation is not total freedom, it will give Brown a slice of the agency she didn't have in her young life or in prison. But we can't forget that the fight for other black women and girls, like Saunders, still continues.

Racism within police ranks: A look at the struggles of Black cops by a former officer

Shawn Kennedy, Opinion contributor
Published 3:00 AM MDT Apr. 25, 2021 Updated 10:41 AM MDT Apr. 26, 2021

+

I'm a retired, Black police sergeant who spent nearly 30 years on the Chicago force. Since my retirement, I'm busier than ever.

I wish I could say it was the kind of busy that comes with retirement — live jazz, travel, generally being a "man of leisure." That lasted for about three months. Instead, much of my time since I left in 2019 has been spent on the National Association of Black Law Enforcement Officers responding to cases of extreme racism experienced by Black cops.

Our social media platforms and direct message folders have been flooded.

The divisive rhetoric of former President Donald Trump has given overt racism on police forces a green light to come back in full force and with impunity.

As the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol played out in real time on TV, the world got an irrefutable look at racial bias and policing: How was an angry mob of white rioters allowed that close to the Capitol?

Purpose

This is a collaborative and reliable informative space on how to spread awareness and go beyond social media activism; to help shed a light on those whose systematic oppressions have been magnified by South Africa's Covid-19 Lockdown. It is important to understand that race and class are intersectional in South Africa; meaning that the poorer you are the harder it is for you to be able to exercise your constitutional rights.

Unfortunately, the Black majority are amongst the poorest individuals in South Africa followed by the Coloured population; which has led to them bearing the consequences of increased military and police surveillance in low income areas. Additionally, the increased numbers in Gender Based Violence, immigrant and LGBTQIA+ silencing have illustrated that there are many gaps in our society which we all can help fix.

It is important that those who have the privilege or means to send emails, sign petitions and give money to fundraisers do so. It is time that all South Africans- Black, White, Colored, Indian, Mixed-Raced and Asian come together to uplift the voices of the voiceless.
#JusticeDuringLockdown

go to
lockdownjustice.wixsite.com Purpose

This is a collaborative and reliable informative space on how to spread awareness and go beyond social media activism; to help shed a light on those whose systematic oppressions have been magnified by South Africa's Covid-19 Lockdown. It is important to understand that race and class are intersectional in South Africa; meaning that the poorer you are the harder it is for you to be able to exercise your constitutional rights.

Unfortunately, the Black majority are amongst the poorest individuals in South Africa followed by the Coloured population; which has led to them bearing the consequences of increased military and police surveillance in low income areas. Additionally, the increased numbers in Gender Based Violence, immigrant and LGBTQIA+ silencing have illustrated that there are many gaps in our society which we all can help fix.

It is important that those who have the privilege or means to send emails, sign petitions and give money to fundraisers do so. It is time that all South Africans- Black, White, Colored, Indian, Mixed-Raced and Asian come together to uplift the voices of the voiceless.
#JusticeDuringLockdown

NOMSA MONTSHA DETAILS WHAT HAPPENED WHEN COLLINS KHOSA WAS ALLEGEDLY TORTURED BY THE SANDF

Description
The affidavit of Nomsa Montsha was aired on The Eusebius McKaiser Show and led to a huge outpouring of anger from the public about what allegedly happened recently in Alex township MAVERICK CITIZEN OP-ED
The SANDF has a troubling sexual abuse record – deploying them makes women more vulnerable
By Orly Stern for MOSAIC Training, Service and Healing Centre for Women• 5 May 2020

When considering increased militarisation in a crisis, one needs to consider what this means for women's safety, says the writer. (Photo: Brenton Geach / Gallo Images via Getty Images)  Less

Around the world, a military presence in communities has become associated with sexual violence — and the SANDF has a troubling record around violence against women. Rates of gender-based violence within the SANDF are high — with violence often perpetrated against their own.

Terrence Richardson and Ferrone Claiborne have been wrongfully incarcerated for 20+ years
116,798 have signed. Let's get to 150,000!

Lanique Porter
Lanique Porter signed 39 minutes ago

The Immigrant Youth Coalition Logo

Undocumented Labor and Immigrant Rights Organizer Arrested by Santa Ana Police While Protecting Her Community!

Maria Zacarias is an Undocumented Labor and Immigrant rights organizer in Santa Ana, CA in Orange County. She was copwatching and was arrested by Santa Ana Police Department for exercising her First Amendment Rights on Friday night December 5, 2014.

She is a recipient of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, however, she can still be turned over to ICE at the discretion of the Santa Ana Police Department.

She formerly used to work for Unite HERE Local 11 and is a long time immigrant rights organizer in Orange County. She has organized, marched, and contributed to major victories for the worker and undocumented community.

WE DEMAND HER CHARGES BE IMMEDIATELY DROPPED!!! THE IMMIGRANT COMMUNITY WILL NOT ALLOW ONE OF OUR ORGANIZERS TO BE INTIMIDATED BY THE SANTA ANA POLICE DEPARTMENT OR ANY OTHER LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY THAT COLLABORATES WITH ICE.

Alongside Maria, community organizer Theresa Dang was also arrested for exersicing her constitutional rights.

Sign this Petition and CALL CHIEF ROJAS TO IMMEDIATELY DROP THE CHARGES on Maria and Theresa!

Santa Ana Police Chief Carlos Rojas @ (714) 245-8001 and (714) 245-8003

Sample Script: "Hi, I am calling to demand you drop the charges on Maria Zacarias and Theresa Dang. They are both civil rights leaders in our community and we oppose the intimidation of organizers while they protect the rights of our undocumented community! Thank you."

Rights Organizer Maria Zacarias and Theresa Dang
The entire immigrant community in Orange County and Santa Ana demand you immediately drop the charges for Maria Zacarias and Theresa Dang.

Maria Zacarias is a recipient of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), a program implemented by the Obama Administration to protect and not deport people who are undocumented and were brought at a young age. She is a labor and immigrant rights leader that has contributed to the protection of the undocumented community locally and nationally.

Theresa Dang is a local community organizer who was also wrongfully arrested alongside Maria.

Both are long time residents and civil rights leaders in our community and we demand their charges be dismissed immediately!!

You are suppose to protect and serve not criminalize those that protect the undocumented community.

First Name*
Last Name*
Email*

City*

enter and sign the petition at action.ndlon.org

Justice for Ronald Greene (official)

$42,763 raised of $45,000 goal

Share
Donate now

Dinelle Hardin is organizing this fundraiser.
Justice for Ronald Greene (OFFICIAL) #JUSTICEFORRONALDGREENE

JUSTICE DELAYED IS JUSTICE DENIED!

For the last 2 years, Ronald Greene's family has been on a mission to seek justice in the cover up of Ronnie's murder. This has been a long,
grueling and lonely journey trying to balance home/work/personal life and staying abreast with the case.

The coverups and roadblocks were ALL set before us by the state of Louisiana at every angle. It has been a constant uphill battle to get exposure on Ronnie's case. Seeing the last painful moments of his life has been so horrific and gut wrenching. Since day one, this has taken a toll on our lives but has also given us FIRE to keep FIGHTING systemic racism along STATE SPONSORED VIOLENCE!

We still have a long....road ahead of us!

We've been investigating this case using our own personal resources and this has caused a great strain financially.  We're seeking
assistance with Travel expenses which includes lodging/meals, rental car), marketing materials, living expenses (rent, utilities) as needed 
and Self-Care, which consist of mental health and trauma counseling.

We're so appreciative and we thank you in advance for your support. Join us in our movement to reimagining public safety and equality in the state of Louisiana.

Ronnie's spirit for "OHANA" will forever be with us.

Change starts with US!

Dinelle Hardin
(Ronald's sister)
Orlando, FL

George Floyd statue in Brooklyn to move to Manhattan after refurbishment
By Lila Watts and Laura Ly, CNN

Updated 4:46 PM ET, Fri July 23, 2021

A statue of George Floyd that has been in Brooklyn's Flatbush neighborhood since Juneteenth will be moved on Monday -- first back to the studio for refurbishment and then to Manhattan's Union Square Park in September as planned, according to Confront Art, the group that produced the statue.

The 6-foot statue was unveiled this summer as part of New York City's Juneteenth celebrations. It was meant to be displayed in Brooklyn for a few weeks before being moved to Manhattan, but it was vandalized days later with black spray paint and the website address of a white nationalist group.
Though volunteers have been working to clean the statue since its defacement, a spokesperson for Confront Art confirmed it will be transported back to the studio for further restoration before making the trip to Union Square.
"I heard the news about the vandalism. I was so proud that I got word that Flatbush held it down," said Terrence Floyd, brother of George Floyd, at a farewell celebration held for the statue on Thursday night. "They really supported us. They looked out for the statue, they looked out for the spirit of my brother."
The NYPD said Friday it did not have any updates regarding the defacement.
Police said in June that they were checking on the whereabouts of four males in connection with the vandalism and released a video and a photo of what it said was the four walking toward the vicinity of the statue before the incident.
The office of Mayor Bill de Blasio, in a tweet, described the vandalism as a "racist, loathsome, despicable act of hate."
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo directed the State Police Hate Crimes Task Force to offer assistance in the investigation.
"It's still tarnished from some of the vandalism," said Lindsay Eshelman, cofounder of Confront Art. "We worked so hard to get it off, but it's still there. But it's a reminder that even though someone came to destroy something, as a community we rebuilt it."
CNN's Kristina Sgueglia and Mark Morales contributed to this report.

A Black woman was grabbed by her hair and pulled out of an SUV during a traffic stop in North Carolina, lawsuit says
By Artemis Moshtaghian, Melissa Alonso and Amanda Jackson, CNN

Updated 6:10 AM ET, Wed April 28, 2021
(CNN)A Black woman was allegedly grabbed by the hair and pulled out of her SUV by North Carolina police during a traffic stop in 2019 after she was driving 10 miles per hour over the speed limit and failed to stop for law enforcement, according to a civil lawsuit filed last week.

Four law enforcement officers are named in the federal lawsuit filed in US District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina. The lawsuit seeks monetary damages for the alleged use of excessive force and unlawful search of the plaintiff's purse and vehicle.
Stephanie Bottom was driving on May 30, 2019, along Interstate 85 from Georgia to North Carolina to attend her great aunt's funeral, her attorney Scott Holmes told CNN on Tuesday. The then-66-year-old librarian from Fulton County, Georgia, was listening to music and didn't initially see the flashing blue lights coming from the police vehicle behind her, Holmes said.
According to the lawsuit, Bottom did not believe she was driving fast and did not think the police were trying to stop her.

Police pull Black woman by hair, injure her shoulder in traffic stop 03:04
Officers with the Rowan County Sheriff's Office and the Salisbury Police Department were attempting to conduct a traffic stop on Bottom, alleging she was driving 80 mph in a 70-mph zone, according to the suit.
"Once it became clear they wanted her to pull over she was afraid and was looking for a safe place to pull over," Holmes told CNN in an email.
Officers had their sirens on for at least 10 minutes, according to body camera footage that is cited in the lawsuit and was reviewed by CNN. It's unclear how close police were to Bottom's vehicle before she pulled over, as the footage only shows the inside of the police vehicle and the sky.
Officers had guns drawn
When Bottoms didn't immediately pull over, one of the officers making the traffic stop identified in the lawsuit as Salisbury Police Officer Devin Barkalow made statements recorded by his body camera that Bottom was a "f**king retard" and a "douche bag," according to the body camera footage.

Another officer involved in the traffic stop, only identified as Officer Smith, pulled ahead of Bottom and deployed spike strips that immediately immobilized her vehicle, the lawsuit says.
As Rowan County Sheriff's Deputy Mark Benfield and Barkalow approached her vehicle they had their guns drawn and pointed at her, according to the lawsuit. She was "terrified," according to the lawsuit, as officers shouted at her to exit the vehicle.
Within seconds of arriving at her driver's side door, the officers grabbed Bottom by her arm and hair and pulled her from her vehicle to the ground, according to body camera footage. The lawsuit names Benfield and Barkalow as the two officers who did this.

In the footage, Bottom is seen screaming as Benfield, Barkalow, and Salisbury Police Officer Adam Bouk force her to lay face down on the ground, according to the lawsuit.
Officers allegedly refused medical treatment
The officers pulled Bottom's arms behind her back while she shrieked in pain as sirens blared in the background, according to the footage. The force applied by the officers caused Bottom's "shoulder to 'pop,' tearing her rotator cuff and causing severe injury," according to the lawsuit.

The fourth officer named in the lawsuit is Rowan County Sheriff Kevin Auten. The suit alleges that in his official capacity he "approved and condoned the unlawful behavior."
CNN has reached out to Rowan County Sheriff's Department for comment but has not yet heard back.
In a statement to the media, the Salisbury Police Department said it was unable to comment on pending litigation but that it strives "for positive interactions with our residents and visitors, including in cases where (police) may suspect criminal activity."

Bottom claims the officers refused to get her medical treatment even as she told them she was pain, according to the lawsuit. As she was handcuffed on the side of the road, the officers searched her vehicle and purse without her consent, a warrant, or probable cause which violated Bottom's Fourth Amendment rights, the lawsuit says.
After the search, officers told Bottom to stand, but she said she couldn't due to the pain in her shoulder, according to the suit. Officers Barkalow and Bouk picked up by her arms, inflicting additional pain to her shoulder, forced her to stand and put her in the back of a patrol car, according to the lawsuit.

During this time, Bouk is heard on the body camera footage saying, "That's good police work baby" to other officers, according to the suit. It also claims that the officers congratulated one other for their work and an officer identified in the lawsuit as Barkalow is heard bragging about grabbing a "handful of dreads," saying "at that point she earned it."
Eventually, Bottom received medical attention at the scene and was taken to the hospital, the lawsuit says. She later had surgery for the injury, but it did not fully repair the shoulder, according to the lawsuit, and now there is permanent damage.

Officers issued Bottom a summons, charging her with "speeding... failure to heed blue lights, and resisting, delaying, and obstructing an officer for allegedly refusing to get out of her vehicle and pulling away from the officer," according to the lawsuit.
She appeared in court for the traffic violations, pleaded responsible to failure to heed blue lights, and the other charges against her were dismissed, according to the lawsuit.

Imagining Abolition (Episode 3): The Abolitionist Pod
Imagining Abolition (Episode 3): The Abolitionist Pod Video Screengrab
Black people have witnessed and experienced death for centuries. Over the last year and a half, with COVID, we've experienced it at an even greater intensity. In this moment, we want to focus on food. Dirt. Nourishment...

Police Associations Are Not Unions
Police Associations Are Not Unions Graphics
The history of Black people and the labor movement is long and deep. Today, and every day, we honor the labor, and the labor organizing, of our Ancestors and our people...

#AllHandsOnDeckTX!
Black Lives Matter Logo
Earlier this week, we saw far-right extremism at play: The conservative majority of the Supreme Court allowed a near-total abortion ban that will disproportionately impact Black women in Texas...

Take Action —
Join the Movement to fight for Freedom, Liberation and Justice by signing up for updates, supporting our work, checking out our resources, following us on social media, or wearing our dope, official gear.

The HAVI

ABOUT
MEMBERSHIP
RESOURCES & TRAINING
NEWS
ADVOCACY
CONFERENCE
DONATE
BACK
WHAT IS AN HVIP?
COMMUNITY VIOLENCE
OUR HISTORY
OUR VISION
OUR TEAM
ADVISORY BOARD
WORK WITH US
BACK
HAVI MEMBERSHIP
BECOME A MEMBER
MEMBERSHIP DIRECTORY
JOIN A WORKING GROUP
REQUEST LETTER OF SUPPORT
BACK
RESOURCES AND TRAINING
EMERGING HVIP
GET EXPERT HELP
VIOLENCE PREVENTION PROFESSIONAL TRAINING
COVID-19 RESOURCES
HAVI WHITE PAPER
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
BACK
IN THE NEWS
HAVI NEWSLETTER
PRESS CENTER
BACK
KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS
FOR LAWMAKERS
COMMUNITY ADVOCACY
HEALTHCARE ADVOCACY
BACK
2021 CONFERENCE
SCHOLARSHIPS AND AWARDS

julian-howard-JRPu9rnNgH8-unsplash.jpg
DONATIONS

VIOLENCE IS PREVENTABLE.

Join us in supporting health equity for survivors of violence. Let's reimagine public health together.
DONATE TODAY
Many are fighting for a new social paradigm that focuses on the health and healing of communities of color. The HAVI supports healing and thriving by investing in public health approaches to heal systemic and interpersonal violence.

The HAVI helps stop the revolving door of violent injury in our hospitals and communities by supporting programs that bring culturally-appropriate violence prevention professionals to the bedside to address the social determinants of health. The HAVI brings these programs together to share knowledge, develop best practices, collaborate on research, and effect policy change.

We believe violence is preventable and are committed to providing resources for our most vulnerable victims through hospital-community partnerships to offer the highest quality trauma-informed care to patients in emergency rooms, and trauma centers throughout the country.

Become a donor today to ensure the HAVI can continue our critical work year round. Your gift will help support health equity for the most vulnerable victims of violence and reimagine public health and public safety in our country.

thehavi.org

Black-owned Restaurants in the Bay Area
DirectoryOther Resources
A
1
Support Black-owned restaurants and pop-ups in the Bay Area!
2
Tip heavy and be kind.                                                                       
3
Looking for a map or other versions of this list? Check out the "Other Resources" tab below 👇🏼                                                                       
4
Name    Location    Cuisine    Service    IG    Phone    Website    Merch    Gift cards    Other   
This list also includes businesses that are co-owned by Black people.
5
Chakula Eats    Alameda    Caribbean, African, Southern    Delivery    @chakula.eats    917-889-5990        Link                                                                               
6
Dayo Plates    Alameda    American    Catering    @dayo._dayo                                                                                           
7
Johnathan's Sandwich House    Alameda    American    Takeout, Delivery   
@johnathans_sandwich_house
510-522-8040   
https://johnathanssandwichalameda.com/
8
Spritzer's Cafe    Alameda    Coffee    Takeout        510-995-8644    www.facebook.com/SpritzersCafe/                                                                                   
9
Wachira Wines    Alameda    Wine    Shipping    @wachirawines    510-995-8261    https://wachirawines.com/                                                                                   
10
Juanita and Maude    Albany    Californian, Global    Takeout    @juanitaandmaude    510-526-2233    www.juanitaandmaude.com/        Link                                                                           
11
Mr. C's and Lizzy's Cajun Cafe    Albany    Cajun    Takeout        510-525-2440                                                                                       
12
Freddy B's BBQ    Antioch    Barbecue    Takeout, Delivery        925-732-3113                                                                                       
13
Mise en Place Catering    Antioch    Californian    Takeout, Catering    @chef_bebe    925-635-8076    www.bebepreston.com                                                                                   
14
Solid Rock Cafe    Antioch    American, Cajun    Takeout, Delivery        925-481-2706    www.solidrockcafe.us/                                                                                   
15
Southern Cafe    Antioch    Southern    Temp. closed    @southerncafe400    925-754-1172    http://southerncafe2000.com/                                                                                   
16
Southern Express Soul Food    Antioch    Southern    Takeout, Delivery    @southern_express_    925-322-4932   
https://southern-express.business.site/
17
Stripe's Bustdown & Catering    Antioch    American    Takeout, Catering    @bustdownandcatering    925-331-7677                                                                                       
18
Way to Life Foods    Antioch    Vegan    Delivery    @waytolifefoods    510-517-4244    www.waytolifefoods.com/                                                                                   
19
Blondery    Bay Area    Dessert    Shipping    @blondery        https://blondery.com                                                                                   
20
A Girl Named Pinky    Berkeley    Dessert    Delivery    @agirlnamedpinky    510-631-6174    www.agirlnamedpinky.com/        Link                                                                           
21
Alchemy Coffee Collective    Berkeley

Continue Reading

You'll Also Like

865 73 7
A dead woman walking would make anyone do a double take. She never thought she would see him again. He never thought she could have survived. More qu...
8.4K 460 22
I am the best and i have countless awards to show for it. My restaurants are known all over the world. I can stand with giants and they will notice m...
41.4K 1.1K 155
Read and find out😏 Yes that's a cop out because I'm terrible with descriptions 😭 but this book got a lot of shenanigans Discord for this story: ht...
48.6K 1.1K 44
Book 2 Siempre. Always. That's how I thought it would be. That's how I thought we would be. But we weren't, because she was gone even before our sto...