Los Angeles police are going through scrutiny following the in-custody demise of a cousin of a key determine within the Black Lives Matter motion. Keenan Anderson, a 31-year-old Washington college trainer who was visiting Los Angeles, died early this month hours after officers repeatedly shocked him with a Taser.
Police mentioned that once they arrived on the scene of a visitors accident on Jan. 3, within the L.A. neighborhood of Venice, they discovered Anderson working into the road and exhibiting “erratic behavior.”
The launch Wednesday of dramatic body-camera footage of the incident has sparked indignant calls for for better accountability by a police drive that has confronted previous accusations of useless brutality.
In the footage, Anderson is seen mendacity on a pavement, held down by officers as one other repeatedly shouts, “Turn over or I’m gonna Tase you” and “Stop it or I’m gonna Tase you!”
A clearly agitated Anderson shouts again, “They’re trying to George Floyd me… They’re trying to kill me” and “Help, please — I’m not resisting, I’m not resisting.”
Anderson’s demise — he was the third individual to die in police custody in L.A. thus far this 12 months — sparked indignant response.
Mayor Karen Bass demanded the fast suspension of the cops concerned, pending the end result of an investigation.
And Rep. Barbara Lee of California tweeted: “I am outraged and heartbroken for Keenan… senselessly murdered by the police.”
She referred to as for “systemic reform.”
In a video assertion earlier than the bodycam footage, LAPD Capt. Kelly Muniz, a spokeswoman, mentioned investigations into officers’ use of drive can typically take as much as a 12 months to finish.
“Our understanding of the incident may change as…additional evidence is collected, analyzed and reviewed,” Muniz mentioned.
Anderson’s cousin Patrisse Cullors co-founded the Black Lives Matter motion in 2020 amid outrage over the videotaped killing in Minneapolis of Floyd, a Black man, below the knee of a White police officer.
Anderson, who was finally handcuffed and shackled, was taken to a hospital and died 4 hours later.
No reason for demise has been formally established.
A press release from LAPD mentioned Anderson had resisted arrest.
“Officers struggled with Anderson for several minutes, utilizing a TASER, bodyweight, firm grips, and joint locks to overcome his resistance,” it mentioned.
But Cullors and others questioned that model of occasions.
“My cousin, Keenan, was actually really scared and he was asking for help repeatedly, and unfortunately that’s not what he received from LAPD,” Cullors informed the Los Angeles Times. “Why wasn’t there help? Why wasn’t my cousin offered medical attention” on the scene.