Right. Like I said, "Free Wayne Couzens."
We need to look at how his victim got herself into the situation in the first place. And question his training.
Whatever it takes to avoid personal responsibility for his actions.
Black Lives Matter-Ugliness of Racism.
- Thread starter Ocean Breeze
- Start date
We need to look at how his victim got herself into the situation in the first place. And question his training.
Whatever it takes to avoid personal responsibility for his actions.
I think the big issue here is training. I suspect every city spends the bare minimum on police screening and training as possible and it shows.
nyyyaaahhh
I dunno
it's one thing when they're on company time, but dood...
he was off doody!
Cops have police authority 24/7. And the Thin Blue Line 25/8.
'Whites-only' sign for a mom and tot playgroup in Coquitlam draws outrage
A group calling itself 'White Tri-cities Parents and Tots' posted the signs
Author of the article:Joanne Lee-Young
Published Sep 25, 2023 • Last updated 1 day ago • 4 minute read
'This is organized. This is structured. This took some time and effort,' says Syreeta Moore of advertising for a 'whites-only' toddler play group.
'This is organized. This is structured. This took some time and effort,' says Syreeta Moore of advertising for a 'whites-only' toddler play group.
By the time Port Coquitlam resident Syreeta Moore saw the social media posts about a “Whites-only Moms and Tots” group, most of the posters pinned up at bus stops and at shopping malls had been taken down.
But her anger lingered Monday.
“I was really upset because my daughter is 20 years old. This is her community that she was raised in and that sign was a block away from my house,” said Moore.
A group calling itself “White Tri-cities Parents and Tots” posted the signs advertising a play group for mothers and children to “join other proud parents of European children as we create an atmosphere in which our kids feel like they belong.”
They included a QR code to an account on the messaging app, Telegram. It had attracted about 200 members before it was shut down. Some discussed support for the group and getting together in person.
Moore’s friend Tara Preece joined the group and took screenshots of some of the online conversations.
“It makes me very angry this is happening. I love Canada for the very reason they are hating on. It’s terrible,” Preece said.
On Sunday, one thread from the group itself said: “Hello everybody, we are encouraged by the response already and hope you can hang in there until we are all comfortable going in person.”
Moore said she initially thought it might just be one person, “just one jerk out there, stirring the pot, causing division. I took the time to look deeper. My friend took the time to add herself to the page. And this is organized. This is structured. This took some time and effort.”
Moore said that as a Black housing advocate and parent of a young athlete who faced racism as she pursued national-level competition, she knows “this exists, but to see it like this, is different.”
In a joint statement about what it described as a “hate-motivated incident,” the City of Port Coquitlam and Mayor Brad West said the posters advertising a “whites-only” group for mothers and children were “vile garbage.”
“As soon as it was brought to our attention, bylaw officers immediately searched the area and all bus stops, but no signs were present. Perhaps removed by someone else in the community,” said the statement.
The same statement said Coquitlam RCMP were aware of the incident and encouraged anyone with information to contact police at 604-945-1550, using the file number 23-25827.
Coquitlam RCMP said in the statement it collects reports on hate-motivated incidents in response to the rise in cases motivated by hate based on race, gender or sexual orientation. It described these incidents as “when a person is targeted by another person motivated by hate in a way that is not a criminal offence.”
The City of Coquitlam said in another news release that the posters were racist because they “explicitly exclude” certain groups based on their race, and they have no place in the city.
“It’s a flashpoint right now. We’re seeing a real surge of hatefulness based on characteristics, protected characteristics, of groups that historically have been discriminated against and marginalized,” said Margot Young, a professor at the University of B.C.’s Allard School of Law, who specializes in constitutional and social justice law. “And it seems that people are feeling more empowered and emboldened to come out and say sentiments that are destructive of a just and fair society.”
Young said she thinks this incident would fall under Section 7 of the Human Rights Code under B.C. law, which covers discriminatory publications. It says that a “person must not publish, issue or display, or cause to be published, issued or displayed, any statement, publication, notice, sign, symbol, emblem or other representation that a) indicates discrimination or an intention to discriminate against a person or a group or a class of persons.”
Police cannot bring charges based on the Human Rights Code. An individual who is discriminated against or subject to discriminatory speech, or someone else representing that interest, brings a complain to the Human Rights Tribunal.
There are exemptions in the code where a party could say it was not intending to discriminate and it just wanted to have its own gathering, said Young.
Section 41 of the code allows for clubs and groups such as “charitable, philanthropic, educational, fraternal, religious” non-profit organizations to exist for the primary purpose of promoting the interest and welfare of an identifiable group. The exemption specifies that an organization or corporation must not be contravening the code.
“That would be hard to fit this into, but it might. That would be their defence, ” said Young.
Postmedia reached out to the group’s organizers by email but did not get a response.
jlee-young@postmedia.com
torontosun.com
A group calling itself 'White Tri-cities Parents and Tots' posted the signs
Author of the article:Joanne Lee-Young
Published Sep 25, 2023 • Last updated 1 day ago • 4 minute read
'This is organized. This is structured. This took some time and effort,' says Syreeta Moore of advertising for a 'whites-only' toddler play group.
'This is organized. This is structured. This took some time and effort,' says Syreeta Moore of advertising for a 'whites-only' toddler play group.
By the time Port Coquitlam resident Syreeta Moore saw the social media posts about a “Whites-only Moms and Tots” group, most of the posters pinned up at bus stops and at shopping malls had been taken down.
But her anger lingered Monday.
“I was really upset because my daughter is 20 years old. This is her community that she was raised in and that sign was a block away from my house,” said Moore.
A group calling itself “White Tri-cities Parents and Tots” posted the signs advertising a play group for mothers and children to “join other proud parents of European children as we create an atmosphere in which our kids feel like they belong.”
They included a QR code to an account on the messaging app, Telegram. It had attracted about 200 members before it was shut down. Some discussed support for the group and getting together in person.
Moore’s friend Tara Preece joined the group and took screenshots of some of the online conversations.
“It makes me very angry this is happening. I love Canada for the very reason they are hating on. It’s terrible,” Preece said.
On Sunday, one thread from the group itself said: “Hello everybody, we are encouraged by the response already and hope you can hang in there until we are all comfortable going in person.”
Moore said she initially thought it might just be one person, “just one jerk out there, stirring the pot, causing division. I took the time to look deeper. My friend took the time to add herself to the page. And this is organized. This is structured. This took some time and effort.”
Moore said that as a Black housing advocate and parent of a young athlete who faced racism as she pursued national-level competition, she knows “this exists, but to see it like this, is different.”
In a joint statement about what it described as a “hate-motivated incident,” the City of Port Coquitlam and Mayor Brad West said the posters advertising a “whites-only” group for mothers and children were “vile garbage.”
“As soon as it was brought to our attention, bylaw officers immediately searched the area and all bus stops, but no signs were present. Perhaps removed by someone else in the community,” said the statement.
The same statement said Coquitlam RCMP were aware of the incident and encouraged anyone with information to contact police at 604-945-1550, using the file number 23-25827.
Coquitlam RCMP said in the statement it collects reports on hate-motivated incidents in response to the rise in cases motivated by hate based on race, gender or sexual orientation. It described these incidents as “when a person is targeted by another person motivated by hate in a way that is not a criminal offence.”
The City of Coquitlam said in another news release that the posters were racist because they “explicitly exclude” certain groups based on their race, and they have no place in the city.
“It’s a flashpoint right now. We’re seeing a real surge of hatefulness based on characteristics, protected characteristics, of groups that historically have been discriminated against and marginalized,” said Margot Young, a professor at the University of B.C.’s Allard School of Law, who specializes in constitutional and social justice law. “And it seems that people are feeling more empowered and emboldened to come out and say sentiments that are destructive of a just and fair society.”
Young said she thinks this incident would fall under Section 7 of the Human Rights Code under B.C. law, which covers discriminatory publications. It says that a “person must not publish, issue or display, or cause to be published, issued or displayed, any statement, publication, notice, sign, symbol, emblem or other representation that a) indicates discrimination or an intention to discriminate against a person or a group or a class of persons.”
Police cannot bring charges based on the Human Rights Code. An individual who is discriminated against or subject to discriminatory speech, or someone else representing that interest, brings a complain to the Human Rights Tribunal.
There are exemptions in the code where a party could say it was not intending to discriminate and it just wanted to have its own gathering, said Young.
Section 41 of the code allows for clubs and groups such as “charitable, philanthropic, educational, fraternal, religious” non-profit organizations to exist for the primary purpose of promoting the interest and welfare of an identifiable group. The exemption specifies that an organization or corporation must not be contravening the code.
“That would be hard to fit this into, but it might. That would be their defence, ” said Young.
Postmedia reached out to the group’s organizers by email but did not get a response.
jlee-young@postmedia.com
'Whites-only' sign for a mom and tot playgroup in Coquitlam draws outrage
The City of Port Coquitlam and Mayor Brad West said the posters advertising the whites-only group for mothers and children were 'vile garbage'
Hate movement? Coquitlam with its 4 generations of Chinese hating Koreans? Naaaaaaah. Never happened.'Whites-only' sign for a mom and tot playgroup in Coquitlam draws outrage
A group calling itself 'White Tri-cities Parents and Tots' posted the signs
Author of the article:Joanne Lee-Young
Published Sep 25, 2023 • Last updated 1 day ago • 4 minute read
'This is organized. This is structured. This took some time and effort,' says Syreeta Moore of advertising for a 'whites-only' toddler play group.
'This is organized. This is structured. This took some time and effort,' says Syreeta Moore of advertising for a 'whites-only' toddler play group.
By the time Port Coquitlam resident Syreeta Moore saw the social media posts about a “Whites-only Moms and Tots” group, most of the posters pinned up at bus stops and at shopping malls had been taken down.
But her anger lingered Monday.
“I was really upset because my daughter is 20 years old. This is her community that she was raised in and that sign was a block away from my house,” said Moore.
A group calling itself “White Tri-cities Parents and Tots” posted the signs advertising a play group for mothers and children to “join other proud parents of European children as we create an atmosphere in which our kids feel like they belong.”
They included a QR code to an account on the messaging app, Telegram. It had attracted about 200 members before it was shut down. Some discussed support for the group and getting together in person.
Moore’s friend Tara Preece joined the group and took screenshots of some of the online conversations.
“It makes me very angry this is happening. I love Canada for the very reason they are hating on. It’s terrible,” Preece said.
On Sunday, one thread from the group itself said: “Hello everybody, we are encouraged by the response already and hope you can hang in there until we are all comfortable going in person.”
Moore said she initially thought it might just be one person, “just one jerk out there, stirring the pot, causing division. I took the time to look deeper. My friend took the time to add herself to the page. And this is organized. This is structured. This took some time and effort.”
Moore said that as a Black housing advocate and parent of a young athlete who faced racism as she pursued national-level competition, she knows “this exists, but to see it like this, is different.”
In a joint statement about what it described as a “hate-motivated incident,” the City of Port Coquitlam and Mayor Brad West said the posters advertising a “whites-only” group for mothers and children were “vile garbage.”
“As soon as it was brought to our attention, bylaw officers immediately searched the area and all bus stops, but no signs were present. Perhaps removed by someone else in the community,” said the statement.
The same statement said Coquitlam RCMP were aware of the incident and encouraged anyone with information to contact police at 604-945-1550, using the file number 23-25827.
Coquitlam RCMP said in the statement it collects reports on hate-motivated incidents in response to the rise in cases motivated by hate based on race, gender or sexual orientation. It described these incidents as “when a person is targeted by another person motivated by hate in a way that is not a criminal offence.”
The City of Coquitlam said in another news release that the posters were racist because they “explicitly exclude” certain groups based on their race, and they have no place in the city.
“It’s a flashpoint right now. We’re seeing a real surge of hatefulness based on characteristics, protected characteristics, of groups that historically have been discriminated against and marginalized,” said Margot Young, a professor at the University of B.C.’s Allard School of Law, who specializes in constitutional and social justice law. “And it seems that people are feeling more empowered and emboldened to come out and say sentiments that are destructive of a just and fair society.”
Young said she thinks this incident would fall under Section 7 of the Human Rights Code under B.C. law, which covers discriminatory publications. It says that a “person must not publish, issue or display, or cause to be published, issued or displayed, any statement, publication, notice, sign, symbol, emblem or other representation that a) indicates discrimination or an intention to discriminate against a person or a group or a class of persons.”
Police cannot bring charges based on the Human Rights Code. An individual who is discriminated against or subject to discriminatory speech, or someone else representing that interest, brings a complain to the Human Rights Tribunal.
There are exemptions in the code where a party could say it was not intending to discriminate and it just wanted to have its own gathering, said Young.
Section 41 of the code allows for clubs and groups such as “charitable, philanthropic, educational, fraternal, religious” non-profit organizations to exist for the primary purpose of promoting the interest and welfare of an identifiable group. The exemption specifies that an organization or corporation must not be contravening the code.
“That would be hard to fit this into, but it might. That would be their defence, ” said Young.
Postmedia reached out to the group’s organizers by email but did not get a response.
jlee-young@postmedia.com
'Whites-only' sign for a mom and tot playgroup in Coquitlam draws outrage
The City of Port Coquitlam and Mayor Brad West said the posters advertising the whites-only group for mothers and children were 'vile garbage'
Video shows bloodied Black man surrounded by cops during Florida traffic stop
Author of the article:Associated Press
Associated Press
Published Oct 01, 2023 • 2 minute read
Le’Keian Woods sits on the ground
Le’Keian Woods sits on the ground after a traffic stop in Jacksonville, Fla. PHOTO BY SCREEN GRAB /X (Twitter) video
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A traffic stop captured on video by a bystander shows a handcuffed Black man with swollen eyes and a bloody face sitting on the ground surrounded by officers outside a vehicle in northeast Florida, and the officers’ law enforcement agency says it has launched an internal review.
Force was used while taking 24-year-old Le’Keian Woods into custody on Friday, and the agency was conducting an administrative review of what happened to see if any policies were violated, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.
“The agency takes all allegations of inappropriate use of force by JSO officers seriously,” the sheriff’s office said.
The sheriff’s office said it couldn’t comment any further because the incident was being investigated.
The video released by Woods’ attorney, Harry Daniels, shows at least three officers on top of Woods, who is chest-down on grass besides a car. At one point, an officer appears to slam Woods’ heads into the ground. After he is handcuffed, Woods is propped up against an officer’s legs, seemingly unable to sit up on his own. Later, he struggles to stand up.
Daniels told The Associated Press on Sunday that after his arrest, Woods was taken to a hospital for treatment of a severe concussion. In a statement a day earlier, the attorney said his client was lucky to be alive.
“If this video of the officers repeatedly assaulting Le’Keian, slamming his head in the ground and tossing him around like a ragdoll while he’s handcuffed and defenseless isn’t enough to convince you that these officers need to be off the street, just look at Le’Keian’s face,” Daniels said. “He looks like he just went 12 rounds with a professional boxer.”
The traffic stop comes more than a month after a white man wearing a mask and firing a weapon emblazoned with a swastika gunned down three Black people at a Dollar General store in a racist attack in predominantly-Black Jacksonville neighborhood.
Online records show that Woods was being held in custody on Sunday on charges of armed traffic of methamphetamine, armed traffic of cocaine, armed possession of a controlled substance, resisting an officer with violence and violation of probation, among other charges.
torontosun.com
Author of the article:Associated Press
Associated Press
Published Oct 01, 2023 • 2 minute read
Le’Keian Woods sits on the ground
Le’Keian Woods sits on the ground after a traffic stop in Jacksonville, Fla. PHOTO BY SCREEN GRAB /X (Twitter) video
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A traffic stop captured on video by a bystander shows a handcuffed Black man with swollen eyes and a bloody face sitting on the ground surrounded by officers outside a vehicle in northeast Florida, and the officers’ law enforcement agency says it has launched an internal review.
Force was used while taking 24-year-old Le’Keian Woods into custody on Friday, and the agency was conducting an administrative review of what happened to see if any policies were violated, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.
“The agency takes all allegations of inappropriate use of force by JSO officers seriously,” the sheriff’s office said.
The sheriff’s office said it couldn’t comment any further because the incident was being investigated.
The video released by Woods’ attorney, Harry Daniels, shows at least three officers on top of Woods, who is chest-down on grass besides a car. At one point, an officer appears to slam Woods’ heads into the ground. After he is handcuffed, Woods is propped up against an officer’s legs, seemingly unable to sit up on his own. Later, he struggles to stand up.
Daniels told The Associated Press on Sunday that after his arrest, Woods was taken to a hospital for treatment of a severe concussion. In a statement a day earlier, the attorney said his client was lucky to be alive.
“If this video of the officers repeatedly assaulting Le’Keian, slamming his head in the ground and tossing him around like a ragdoll while he’s handcuffed and defenseless isn’t enough to convince you that these officers need to be off the street, just look at Le’Keian’s face,” Daniels said. “He looks like he just went 12 rounds with a professional boxer.”
The traffic stop comes more than a month after a white man wearing a mask and firing a weapon emblazoned with a swastika gunned down three Black people at a Dollar General store in a racist attack in predominantly-Black Jacksonville neighborhood.
Online records show that Woods was being held in custody on Sunday on charges of armed traffic of methamphetamine, armed traffic of cocaine, armed possession of a controlled substance, resisting an officer with violence and violation of probation, among other charges.
Video shows bloodied Black man surrounded by cops during Florida traffic stop
A traffic stop captured on video shows a handcuffed Black man with swollen eyes and a bloody face sitting on the ground surrounded by cops
Pickering councillor's 'modern day slave' comment called 'heinous'
But Lisa Robinson maintains her comment had nothing to do with skin colour and everything to do with Canada's Modern Day Slavery Act
Author of the article:Jane Stevenson
Published Oct 06, 2023 • Last updated 1 day ago • 3 minute read
The Pickering Anti-Black Racism Taskforce (PABRT) is calling out a Pickering councillor for her recent comments comparing herself to a “modern day slave.”
But Lisa Robinson maintains her words had nothing to do with skin colour and everything to do with Canada’s Modern Day Slavery Act that was passed earlier this year.
Robinson made the comment on Sept. 26 after council voted to dock her 30 days pay following an investigation by the integrity commissioner into online bullying.
“Councillor Robinson’s comparison to losing 30 days of pay to the likeness of being enslaved is heinous,” said PABRT, which is appointed by the City of Pickering.
“It demonstrates a blatant disregard for the weight and impact of her words as well as how it inflicts harm to others,” PABRT said. “Councillor Robinson’s comments diminishes a dark, traumatic chapter in history that continues to affect Black people in Canada and worldwide profoundly.”
The integrity commissioner found Robinson’s decision to identify three citizens by name in a personal Facebook post in which she announced her annual Halloween event for charity would be cancelled amounted to a “bully tactic.”
In a statement to the Toronto Sun, Robinson expressed her “deep disappointment and concern” regarding the statement made by the City and the PABRT.
“I feel compelled to clarify that my previous statement referring to myself as a ‘modern day slave’ has nothing to do with the colour of one’s skin,” she said. “It is based on the Modern Day Slavery Act 2023, which defines a modern day slave as someone, regardless of their racial background, who works for little or no compensation.”
“I believe it is crucial for everyone to educate themselves on this specific act that has recently passed in legislation, as it sheds light on the reality of modern day slavery,” Robinson said. “By understanding its provisions, one can better comprehend the gravity of the situation and the broader implications it has on individuals, regardless of their race.”
“I would like to emphasize that my intention was never to diminish or undermine the experiences of any particular racial group. Slavery has tragically affected people of various races throughout history. It is disheartening that my statement seems to have been misconstrued, overshadowing the true meaning and intention behind it,” she added.
Robinson also said nobody from the City or the PABRT has reached out to talk to her about the comment.
“It would have been beneficial for all parties involved to engage in a constructive conversation to gain a better understanding of the context and my perspective,” she said. “Instead, assumptions were made, and the focus shifted away from the fundamental message I intended to convey.”
But the PABRT maintained Robinson’s “modern day slave” statement showed “a definite lack of accuracy.”
“Modern slavery involves human trafficking, forced labour, and other heinous crimes that result in severe human rights violations,” the taskforce said.
“For someone who can make a choice not to work and be sanctioned because of her actions, likening that to the outcome of slavery because she is not happy with the unanimous decision of the council shows the complete lack of awareness and sensitivity that should be displayed by someone who was chosen to represent the people of Pickering at City Council,” the PABRT said.
Robinson’s comment was made on her personal Facebook page: “Council voted to have me work for free for the next 30 days for a ‘sarcastic remark’ on my personal FB post. I am now a modern day slave.”
Prior to that, in May, Robinson made a post on her personal Facebook page announcing the cancellation of her annual Halloween event and thanking three citizens by name for their “neighbourly kindness.”
Pickering’s integrity commissioner found the post was made after the Committee of Adjustment denied Robinson’s application to keep a large shipping container in her side yard to store Halloween decorations.
The residents named in Robinson’s Facebook post are those who spoke against the container during a virtual meeting on the matter.
“We are being asked to take the commissioner’s word for it that some people feel bullied and intimidated,” said Robinson in a follow-up YouTube video, posted to her public page.
torontosun.com
But Lisa Robinson maintains her comment had nothing to do with skin colour and everything to do with Canada's Modern Day Slavery Act
Author of the article:Jane Stevenson
Published Oct 06, 2023 • Last updated 1 day ago • 3 minute read
The Pickering Anti-Black Racism Taskforce (PABRT) is calling out a Pickering councillor for her recent comments comparing herself to a “modern day slave.”
But Lisa Robinson maintains her words had nothing to do with skin colour and everything to do with Canada’s Modern Day Slavery Act that was passed earlier this year.
Robinson made the comment on Sept. 26 after council voted to dock her 30 days pay following an investigation by the integrity commissioner into online bullying.
“Councillor Robinson’s comparison to losing 30 days of pay to the likeness of being enslaved is heinous,” said PABRT, which is appointed by the City of Pickering.
“It demonstrates a blatant disregard for the weight and impact of her words as well as how it inflicts harm to others,” PABRT said. “Councillor Robinson’s comments diminishes a dark, traumatic chapter in history that continues to affect Black people in Canada and worldwide profoundly.”
The integrity commissioner found Robinson’s decision to identify three citizens by name in a personal Facebook post in which she announced her annual Halloween event for charity would be cancelled amounted to a “bully tactic.”
In a statement to the Toronto Sun, Robinson expressed her “deep disappointment and concern” regarding the statement made by the City and the PABRT.
“I feel compelled to clarify that my previous statement referring to myself as a ‘modern day slave’ has nothing to do with the colour of one’s skin,” she said. “It is based on the Modern Day Slavery Act 2023, which defines a modern day slave as someone, regardless of their racial background, who works for little or no compensation.”
“I believe it is crucial for everyone to educate themselves on this specific act that has recently passed in legislation, as it sheds light on the reality of modern day slavery,” Robinson said. “By understanding its provisions, one can better comprehend the gravity of the situation and the broader implications it has on individuals, regardless of their race.”
“I would like to emphasize that my intention was never to diminish or undermine the experiences of any particular racial group. Slavery has tragically affected people of various races throughout history. It is disheartening that my statement seems to have been misconstrued, overshadowing the true meaning and intention behind it,” she added.
Robinson also said nobody from the City or the PABRT has reached out to talk to her about the comment.
“It would have been beneficial for all parties involved to engage in a constructive conversation to gain a better understanding of the context and my perspective,” she said. “Instead, assumptions were made, and the focus shifted away from the fundamental message I intended to convey.”
But the PABRT maintained Robinson’s “modern day slave” statement showed “a definite lack of accuracy.”
“Modern slavery involves human trafficking, forced labour, and other heinous crimes that result in severe human rights violations,” the taskforce said.
“For someone who can make a choice not to work and be sanctioned because of her actions, likening that to the outcome of slavery because she is not happy with the unanimous decision of the council shows the complete lack of awareness and sensitivity that should be displayed by someone who was chosen to represent the people of Pickering at City Council,” the PABRT said.
Robinson’s comment was made on her personal Facebook page: “Council voted to have me work for free for the next 30 days for a ‘sarcastic remark’ on my personal FB post. I am now a modern day slave.”
Prior to that, in May, Robinson made a post on her personal Facebook page announcing the cancellation of her annual Halloween event and thanking three citizens by name for their “neighbourly kindness.”
Pickering’s integrity commissioner found the post was made after the Committee of Adjustment denied Robinson’s application to keep a large shipping container in her side yard to store Halloween decorations.
The residents named in Robinson’s Facebook post are those who spoke against the container during a virtual meeting on the matter.
“We are being asked to take the commissioner’s word for it that some people feel bullied and intimidated,” said Robinson in a follow-up YouTube video, posted to her public page.
Pickering councillor's 'modern day slave' comment called 'heinous'
The Pickering Anti-Black Racism Taskforce is calling out Councillor Lisa Robinson for comments comparing herself to a “modern say slave.”
Atlanta police chief fires officer after traffic stop led to Black deacon’s death
Author of the article:Associated Press
Associated Press
Jeff Amy
Published Oct 10, 2023 • 4 minute read
ATLANTA (AP) — Atlanta’s police chief on Tuesday fired an officer who shocked a 62-year-old Black church deacon with a stun gun during a dispute over a traffic ticket, leading to the man’s death.
Police Chief Darin Schierbaum said Officer Kiran Kimbrough didn’t follow department procedures Aug. 10 when he didn’t wait until a supervisor arrived to arrest Johnny Hollman Sr. The chief said he decided to fire Kimbrough after an internal investigation concluded Monday.
“Part of my job is to assess, evaluate, and adjust how this police department is carrying out its sworn mission to serve and protect the citizens of this city,” Schierbaum said in a statement. “I understand the difficult and dangerous job that our officers do each and every day throughout the city. I do not arrive at these decisions lightly.”
Schierbaum’s decision comes days before video that Kimbrough’s body camera recorded of his interactions with Hollman could be released. Mawuli Davis, a lawyer for the Hollman family, said Monday that Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis told him and relatives during a meeting that the video would be publicly released as soon as Willis concludes that all witnesses have been interviewed. That could be as soon as Thursday.
Kimbrough had been on administrative leave. His attorney, Lance LoRusso, said in a statement Tuesday that Kimbrough “vehemently denies any wrongdoing or policy violations” and plans to appeal his firing.
“Our client is a decorated law enforcement officer and looks forward to the release of the entire investigation,” LoRusso said. “The loss of any life is tragic. However, Officer Kimbrough’s actions in detaining Mr. Hollman and making a lawful arrest did not cause Mr. Hollman’s death.”
Relatives of Hollman have seen the video and contend Kimbrough should be charged with murder. Daughter Arnitra Hollman said at a Tuesday news conference that the family is far from satisfied with Kimbrough’s firing.
“This is not the end. We’ve got to keep fighting. We’ve got to keep pushing. We’ve got to keep going,” Hollman said. “Because this is just one of the things that we wanted, which was the termination. But this is not all that we’re looking for. We want justice, and we want justice now for our father.”
Davis has said any decision on whether to prosecute could take months.
Kimbrough, who is Black, was hired as an Atlanta police cadet in March 2021 and became a police officer that October, according to Georgia Peace Officer Standards & Training Council records. Department records show he was suspended for a day in 2022 after a vehicle accident, received a written reprimand in March after an unspecified citizen complaint and was verbally reprimanded in April after a second citizen complaint.
Hollman became unresponsive while being arrested after a minor car crash. Relatives say Hollman, a church deacon, was driving home from Bible study at his daughter’s house and bringing dinner to his wife when he collided with another vehicle while turning across a busy street just west of downtown Atlanta.
Police didn’t arrive until Hollman and the second driver had waited more than an hour.
The police department has said Kimbrough shocked Hollman with a stun gun and handcuffed him after Hollman “became agitated and uncooperative” when Kimbrough issued a ticket finding him at fault for the wreck. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation said Kimbrough and Hollman struggled physically before Kimbrough shocked Hollman.
Schierbaum said Tuesday that Hollman “failed to sign” the citation, but Davis has said the video will show Hollman repeatedly agreed to sign at some point, calling that a “false narrative.” Atlanta police officials have since ruled that officers should write “refusal to sign” on a traffic ticket instead of arresting someone who won’t sign.
Arnitra Hollman said the video will dispel the idea that her father did something wrong.
“We want the narrative that’s been placed out there, that’s been put out there on his name, we want that narrative changed,” she said. “We want his name restored. We want our father to be able to rest in peace.”
Hollman’s death has contributed to discontent with police among some Atlantans that centers on a proposal to build a large public safety training facility.
An autopsy determined that Hollman’s death was a homicide, although the medical examiner found that heart disease also contributed to it.
Medical examiner Dr. Melissa Sims-Stanley said that based on a review of the video and a conversation with a GBI investigator, she concluded that Hollman was unresponsive after he was stunned, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported. Davis said Hollman tried to tell the officer that he had asthma and couldn’t breathe.
Hollman’s daughter, Arnitra Hollman, has said her father called her on the phone and she listened for more than 17 minutes, eventually going to the location of the wreck.
The Atlanta City Council last week called on the city to release the video from the incident. Nelly Miles, a GBI spokesperson, described that agency’s inquiry as “active and ongoing” on Tuesday. She said the GBI and prosecutors work together to determine if video can be released before a case goes to court.
torontosun.com
Author of the article:Associated Press
Associated Press
Jeff Amy
Published Oct 10, 2023 • 4 minute read
ATLANTA (AP) — Atlanta’s police chief on Tuesday fired an officer who shocked a 62-year-old Black church deacon with a stun gun during a dispute over a traffic ticket, leading to the man’s death.
Police Chief Darin Schierbaum said Officer Kiran Kimbrough didn’t follow department procedures Aug. 10 when he didn’t wait until a supervisor arrived to arrest Johnny Hollman Sr. The chief said he decided to fire Kimbrough after an internal investigation concluded Monday.
“Part of my job is to assess, evaluate, and adjust how this police department is carrying out its sworn mission to serve and protect the citizens of this city,” Schierbaum said in a statement. “I understand the difficult and dangerous job that our officers do each and every day throughout the city. I do not arrive at these decisions lightly.”
Schierbaum’s decision comes days before video that Kimbrough’s body camera recorded of his interactions with Hollman could be released. Mawuli Davis, a lawyer for the Hollman family, said Monday that Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis told him and relatives during a meeting that the video would be publicly released as soon as Willis concludes that all witnesses have been interviewed. That could be as soon as Thursday.
Kimbrough had been on administrative leave. His attorney, Lance LoRusso, said in a statement Tuesday that Kimbrough “vehemently denies any wrongdoing or policy violations” and plans to appeal his firing.
“Our client is a decorated law enforcement officer and looks forward to the release of the entire investigation,” LoRusso said. “The loss of any life is tragic. However, Officer Kimbrough’s actions in detaining Mr. Hollman and making a lawful arrest did not cause Mr. Hollman’s death.”
Relatives of Hollman have seen the video and contend Kimbrough should be charged with murder. Daughter Arnitra Hollman said at a Tuesday news conference that the family is far from satisfied with Kimbrough’s firing.
“This is not the end. We’ve got to keep fighting. We’ve got to keep pushing. We’ve got to keep going,” Hollman said. “Because this is just one of the things that we wanted, which was the termination. But this is not all that we’re looking for. We want justice, and we want justice now for our father.”
Davis has said any decision on whether to prosecute could take months.
Kimbrough, who is Black, was hired as an Atlanta police cadet in March 2021 and became a police officer that October, according to Georgia Peace Officer Standards & Training Council records. Department records show he was suspended for a day in 2022 after a vehicle accident, received a written reprimand in March after an unspecified citizen complaint and was verbally reprimanded in April after a second citizen complaint.
Hollman became unresponsive while being arrested after a minor car crash. Relatives say Hollman, a church deacon, was driving home from Bible study at his daughter’s house and bringing dinner to his wife when he collided with another vehicle while turning across a busy street just west of downtown Atlanta.
Police didn’t arrive until Hollman and the second driver had waited more than an hour.
The police department has said Kimbrough shocked Hollman with a stun gun and handcuffed him after Hollman “became agitated and uncooperative” when Kimbrough issued a ticket finding him at fault for the wreck. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation said Kimbrough and Hollman struggled physically before Kimbrough shocked Hollman.
Schierbaum said Tuesday that Hollman “failed to sign” the citation, but Davis has said the video will show Hollman repeatedly agreed to sign at some point, calling that a “false narrative.” Atlanta police officials have since ruled that officers should write “refusal to sign” on a traffic ticket instead of arresting someone who won’t sign.
Arnitra Hollman said the video will dispel the idea that her father did something wrong.
“We want the narrative that’s been placed out there, that’s been put out there on his name, we want that narrative changed,” she said. “We want his name restored. We want our father to be able to rest in peace.”
Hollman’s death has contributed to discontent with police among some Atlantans that centers on a proposal to build a large public safety training facility.
An autopsy determined that Hollman’s death was a homicide, although the medical examiner found that heart disease also contributed to it.
Medical examiner Dr. Melissa Sims-Stanley said that based on a review of the video and a conversation with a GBI investigator, she concluded that Hollman was unresponsive after he was stunned, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported. Davis said Hollman tried to tell the officer that he had asthma and couldn’t breathe.
Hollman’s daughter, Arnitra Hollman, has said her father called her on the phone and she listened for more than 17 minutes, eventually going to the location of the wreck.
The Atlanta City Council last week called on the city to release the video from the incident. Nelly Miles, a GBI spokesperson, described that agency’s inquiry as “active and ongoing” on Tuesday. She said the GBI and prosecutors work together to determine if video can be released before a case goes to court.
Atlanta police chief fires officer after traffic stop led to Black deacon’s death
The chief said he decided to fire Kimbrough after an internal investigation concluded Monday.
1 officer convicted, 1 acquitted in death of Elijah McClain
Author of the article:Associated Press
Associated Press
Colleen Slevin and Matthew Brown
Published Oct 12, 2023 • Last updated 2 days ago • 5 minute read
BRIGHTON, Colo. — Jurors convicted a Denver-area police officer Thursday and acquitted another of charges in the 2019 death of Elijah McClain, a Black man whose name became a rallying cry in protests over racial injustice in policing.
Aurora police officer Randy Roedema was found guilty of criminally negligent homicide and third-degree assault. The 12-person jury found officer Jason Rosenblatt not guilty on all charges. Roedema faces up to 3 years in prison on the more serious homicide charge, with sentencing to occur at a later date.
McClain’s mother, Sheneen McClain, listened to the verdict from the front row, where Attorney General Phil Weiser had his hand on her shoulder. She held her right hand high in a raised fist as she left the courtroom.
McClain died after being put in a neck hold by a third officer and pinned to the ground, then injected by paramedics with an overdose of ketamine.
Roedema and Rosenblatt were charged with manslaughter, criminally negligent homicide and second-degree assault — all felonies. Roedema and another officer who wasn’t charged held down McClain while paramedics administered the ketamine. Rosenblatt’s attorney had pointed out during the trial that he was not near McClain at that point in the confrontation.
The case initially did not receive widespread attention, but protests over the killing of George Floyd the following year sparked outrage over McClain’s death. His pleading words captured on body camera footage, “I’m an introvert and I’m different,” struck a chord.
A local prosecutor in 2019 decided against criminal charges because the coroner’s office could not determine exactly how the 23-year-old massage therapist died. But Colorado Gov. Jared Polis ordered state Attorney General Phil Weiser’s office to take another look at the case in 2020, and the officers and paramedics were indicted in 2021 by a grand jury.
The killings of McClain, Floyd and others triggered a wave of legislation that put limits on the use of neck holds in more than two dozen states. Colorado now tells paramedics not to give ketamine to people suspected of having a controversial condition known as excited delirium, which has symptoms including increased strength that has been associated with racial bias against Black men.
Roedema and Rosenblatt did not testify in their defence at trial. Their attorneys blamed McClain’s death on the paramedics for injecting him with ketamine, which doctors said is what ultimately killed him.
However, prosecutors argued that the officers’ restraint of McClain contributed. Senior Assistant Attorney General Jason Slothouber told jurors that Roedema and Rosenblatt also encouraged the paramedics to give McClain ketamine by describing him as having symptoms of excited delirium that they had learned about in training. But he said the officers did not tell them anything about McClain’s complaints that he could not breathe, something prosecutors said happened six times.
Sheneen McClain sat with attorneys for the state in the front row of the courtroom during the trial, part of her quest to remind the mostly white jury that her son was a real person. She watched the encounter being played over and over again along with graphic photos from his autopsy.
During testimony that stretched over three weeks, witnesses were limited to offering what they “perceived” someone to be doing or saying in the video. The video clips did not always provide a complete picture of what was happening, but Judge Mark Warner said the jurors were the only ones who could decide what they meant, just like any other piece of evidence.
Despite the emotional weight of McClain’s last words captured on body camera and a story about him playing the violin in an animal shelter, the trial did not include much testimony about him or his life.
A co-worker at a massage studio testified briefly about how he used to bike or run miles to work in an affluent suburb and then also run on lunch breaks. A photograph of a smiling McClain she took shortly before his death was shown to jurors during closing arguments.
McClain was stopped Aug. 24, 2019, while walking home from a convenience store on a summer night, listening to music and wearing a mask that covered most of his face. A 911 caller reported him as suspicious, and the police stop quickly became physical after McClain, seemingly caught off guard, asked to be left alone. He had not been accused of committing any crime.
The encounter quickly escalated, with Officers Nathan Woodyard, Roedema and Rosenblatt taking McClain to the ground, and Woodyard putting him in a neck hold and pressing against his carotid artery, temporarily rendering him unconscious. The officers told investigators they took McClain down after hearing Roedema say, “He grabbed your gun dude.” He later said Rosenblatt’s gun was the target.
The initial statement was heard on the body camera footage but exactly what happened is difficult to see. The prosecution urged jurors to be skeptical, saying Rosenblatt said he could not feel anyone reaching for his gun.
But one of Roedema’s defence lawyers, Don Sisson, pointed out that McClain said “I intend to take my power back,” which he argued showed intent. The officers had to act in the moment to protect themselves, according to Sisson.
“They didn’t get to watch the video over and over and over for three weeks before they get to act,” he said.
Paramedics injected McClain with ketamine as Roedema and another officer who was not charged held him on the ground. He went into cardiac arrest en route to the hospital and died three days later.
After the grand jury was convened to re-investigate the case, the doctor who performed McClain’s autopsy, Stephen Cina, revised his opinion and concluded that he died of complications from the ketamine while also noting that that occurred after the forcible restraint. However, Cina still was not able to say if the death was a homicide or an accident or if the officers’ actions contributed to McClain’s death.
Dr. Roger Mitchell, another forensic pathologist who reviewed the autopsy and searched for clues about what happened in the body camera video, found their actions did play a role. He labeled the death a homicide.
The neck hold lowered the oxygen level in McClain’s brain while his exertions during the altercation increased the amount of acid in his body, Mitchell, a Howard University medical school professor and former chief medical officer for Washington, D.C., said during testimony.
The lack of oxygen and increased acid created a “vicious cycle,” he added, causing McClain to vomit and then inhale the vomit into his lungs so it became hard for him to breathe.
torontosun.com
Author of the article:Associated Press
Associated Press
Colleen Slevin and Matthew Brown
Published Oct 12, 2023 • Last updated 2 days ago • 5 minute read
BRIGHTON, Colo. — Jurors convicted a Denver-area police officer Thursday and acquitted another of charges in the 2019 death of Elijah McClain, a Black man whose name became a rallying cry in protests over racial injustice in policing.
Aurora police officer Randy Roedema was found guilty of criminally negligent homicide and third-degree assault. The 12-person jury found officer Jason Rosenblatt not guilty on all charges. Roedema faces up to 3 years in prison on the more serious homicide charge, with sentencing to occur at a later date.
McClain’s mother, Sheneen McClain, listened to the verdict from the front row, where Attorney General Phil Weiser had his hand on her shoulder. She held her right hand high in a raised fist as she left the courtroom.
McClain died after being put in a neck hold by a third officer and pinned to the ground, then injected by paramedics with an overdose of ketamine.
Roedema and Rosenblatt were charged with manslaughter, criminally negligent homicide and second-degree assault — all felonies. Roedema and another officer who wasn’t charged held down McClain while paramedics administered the ketamine. Rosenblatt’s attorney had pointed out during the trial that he was not near McClain at that point in the confrontation.
The case initially did not receive widespread attention, but protests over the killing of George Floyd the following year sparked outrage over McClain’s death. His pleading words captured on body camera footage, “I’m an introvert and I’m different,” struck a chord.
A local prosecutor in 2019 decided against criminal charges because the coroner’s office could not determine exactly how the 23-year-old massage therapist died. But Colorado Gov. Jared Polis ordered state Attorney General Phil Weiser’s office to take another look at the case in 2020, and the officers and paramedics were indicted in 2021 by a grand jury.
The killings of McClain, Floyd and others triggered a wave of legislation that put limits on the use of neck holds in more than two dozen states. Colorado now tells paramedics not to give ketamine to people suspected of having a controversial condition known as excited delirium, which has symptoms including increased strength that has been associated with racial bias against Black men.
Roedema and Rosenblatt did not testify in their defence at trial. Their attorneys blamed McClain’s death on the paramedics for injecting him with ketamine, which doctors said is what ultimately killed him.
However, prosecutors argued that the officers’ restraint of McClain contributed. Senior Assistant Attorney General Jason Slothouber told jurors that Roedema and Rosenblatt also encouraged the paramedics to give McClain ketamine by describing him as having symptoms of excited delirium that they had learned about in training. But he said the officers did not tell them anything about McClain’s complaints that he could not breathe, something prosecutors said happened six times.
Sheneen McClain sat with attorneys for the state in the front row of the courtroom during the trial, part of her quest to remind the mostly white jury that her son was a real person. She watched the encounter being played over and over again along with graphic photos from his autopsy.
During testimony that stretched over three weeks, witnesses were limited to offering what they “perceived” someone to be doing or saying in the video. The video clips did not always provide a complete picture of what was happening, but Judge Mark Warner said the jurors were the only ones who could decide what they meant, just like any other piece of evidence.
Despite the emotional weight of McClain’s last words captured on body camera and a story about him playing the violin in an animal shelter, the trial did not include much testimony about him or his life.
A co-worker at a massage studio testified briefly about how he used to bike or run miles to work in an affluent suburb and then also run on lunch breaks. A photograph of a smiling McClain she took shortly before his death was shown to jurors during closing arguments.
McClain was stopped Aug. 24, 2019, while walking home from a convenience store on a summer night, listening to music and wearing a mask that covered most of his face. A 911 caller reported him as suspicious, and the police stop quickly became physical after McClain, seemingly caught off guard, asked to be left alone. He had not been accused of committing any crime.
The encounter quickly escalated, with Officers Nathan Woodyard, Roedema and Rosenblatt taking McClain to the ground, and Woodyard putting him in a neck hold and pressing against his carotid artery, temporarily rendering him unconscious. The officers told investigators they took McClain down after hearing Roedema say, “He grabbed your gun dude.” He later said Rosenblatt’s gun was the target.
The initial statement was heard on the body camera footage but exactly what happened is difficult to see. The prosecution urged jurors to be skeptical, saying Rosenblatt said he could not feel anyone reaching for his gun.
But one of Roedema’s defence lawyers, Don Sisson, pointed out that McClain said “I intend to take my power back,” which he argued showed intent. The officers had to act in the moment to protect themselves, according to Sisson.
“They didn’t get to watch the video over and over and over for three weeks before they get to act,” he said.
Paramedics injected McClain with ketamine as Roedema and another officer who was not charged held him on the ground. He went into cardiac arrest en route to the hospital and died three days later.
After the grand jury was convened to re-investigate the case, the doctor who performed McClain’s autopsy, Stephen Cina, revised his opinion and concluded that he died of complications from the ketamine while also noting that that occurred after the forcible restraint. However, Cina still was not able to say if the death was a homicide or an accident or if the officers’ actions contributed to McClain’s death.
Dr. Roger Mitchell, another forensic pathologist who reviewed the autopsy and searched for clues about what happened in the body camera video, found their actions did play a role. He labeled the death a homicide.
The neck hold lowered the oxygen level in McClain’s brain while his exertions during the altercation increased the amount of acid in his body, Mitchell, a Howard University medical school professor and former chief medical officer for Washington, D.C., said during testimony.
The lack of oxygen and increased acid created a “vicious cycle,” he added, causing McClain to vomit and then inhale the vomit into his lungs so it became hard for him to breathe.
1 officer convicted, 1 acquitted in death of Elijah McClain
Jurors convicted a Denver-area police officer Thursday and acquitted another of charges in the 2019 death of Elijah McClain.
Georgia cop shoots man who spent 16 years in prison on wrongful conviction
Author of the article:Associated Press
Associated Press
Published Oct 16, 2023 • 2 minute read
KINGSLAND, Ga. — A man who spent more than 16 years in prison in Florida on a wrongful conviction was shot and killed Monday by a sheriff’s deputy in Georgia during a traffic stop, authorities and representatives said.
Leonard Allen Cure, 53, was identified by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, which is reviewing the shooting.
His death was confirmed to the South Florida Sun Sentinel by Seth Miller, executive director of the Innocence Project of Florida, who worked with Cure on his wrongful conviction case.
“We’re devastated by the news of his tragic death, and we don’t have any further comment at this time,” Miller told the newspaper.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation said a Camden County deputy pulled over a driver along Interstate 95 near the Georgia-Florida line and the driver got out of the car at the deputy’s request. He cooperated at first but became violent after he was told he was being arrested, a GBI news release said.
The agency said preliminary information shows the deputy shocked the driver with a stun gun when he failed to obey commands, and the driver then began assaulting the deputy. The GBI said the deputy again tried using the stun gun and a baton to subdue him, then drew his gun and shot the driver when he continued to resist.
The agency didn’t say what prompted the deputy to pull over Cure’s vehicle.
It is customary for Georgia law enforcement agencies to ask the GBI to investigate shootings involving officers. The agency said it will submit its findings to the district attorney for the coastal Brunswick Judicial Circuit, which includes Camden County.
Cure was convicted of the 2003 armed robbery of a drug store in Florida’s Dania Beach and sentenced to life in prison because he had previous convictions for robbery and other crimes.
But the case had issues from the start and his conviction came from a second jury after the first one deadlocked.
In 2020, the Broward State Attorney’s Office new Conviction Review Unit asked a judge to release Cure from prison. Broward’s conviction review team said it found “troubling” revelations that Cure had solid alibis that were previously disregarded and no physical evidence or solid witnesses to put him at the scene. An independent review panel of five local lawyers concurred with the findings.
Cure was released that April after his sentenced was modified. That December, a judge vacated his conviction and sentence.
“I’m looking forward to putting this situation behind me and moving on with my life,” Cure told the Sun Sentinel at the time.
In June, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a claims bill granting Cure $817,000 in compensation for his conviction and imprisonment along with educational benefits.
“The Leonard we knew was a smart, funny and kind person,” Broward State Attorney Harold F. Pryor said in a statement to the paper Monday evening. “After he was freed and exonerated by our office, he visited prosecutors at our office and participated in training to help our staff do their jobs in the fairest and most thorough way possible. He would frequently call to check in on Assistant State Attorney Arielle Demby Berger, the head of the Conviction Review Unit, and offer our team encouragement to continue to do the important work of justice.”
floridainnocence.org
torontosun.com
Author of the article:Associated Press
Associated Press
Published Oct 16, 2023 • 2 minute read
KINGSLAND, Ga. — A man who spent more than 16 years in prison in Florida on a wrongful conviction was shot and killed Monday by a sheriff’s deputy in Georgia during a traffic stop, authorities and representatives said.
Leonard Allen Cure, 53, was identified by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, which is reviewing the shooting.
His death was confirmed to the South Florida Sun Sentinel by Seth Miller, executive director of the Innocence Project of Florida, who worked with Cure on his wrongful conviction case.
“We’re devastated by the news of his tragic death, and we don’t have any further comment at this time,” Miller told the newspaper.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation said a Camden County deputy pulled over a driver along Interstate 95 near the Georgia-Florida line and the driver got out of the car at the deputy’s request. He cooperated at first but became violent after he was told he was being arrested, a GBI news release said.
The agency said preliminary information shows the deputy shocked the driver with a stun gun when he failed to obey commands, and the driver then began assaulting the deputy. The GBI said the deputy again tried using the stun gun and a baton to subdue him, then drew his gun and shot the driver when he continued to resist.
The agency didn’t say what prompted the deputy to pull over Cure’s vehicle.
It is customary for Georgia law enforcement agencies to ask the GBI to investigate shootings involving officers. The agency said it will submit its findings to the district attorney for the coastal Brunswick Judicial Circuit, which includes Camden County.
Cure was convicted of the 2003 armed robbery of a drug store in Florida’s Dania Beach and sentenced to life in prison because he had previous convictions for robbery and other crimes.
But the case had issues from the start and his conviction came from a second jury after the first one deadlocked.
In 2020, the Broward State Attorney’s Office new Conviction Review Unit asked a judge to release Cure from prison. Broward’s conviction review team said it found “troubling” revelations that Cure had solid alibis that were previously disregarded and no physical evidence or solid witnesses to put him at the scene. An independent review panel of five local lawyers concurred with the findings.
Cure was released that April after his sentenced was modified. That December, a judge vacated his conviction and sentence.
“I’m looking forward to putting this situation behind me and moving on with my life,” Cure told the Sun Sentinel at the time.
In June, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a claims bill granting Cure $817,000 in compensation for his conviction and imprisonment along with educational benefits.
“The Leonard we knew was a smart, funny and kind person,” Broward State Attorney Harold F. Pryor said in a statement to the paper Monday evening. “After he was freed and exonerated by our office, he visited prosecutors at our office and participated in training to help our staff do their jobs in the fairest and most thorough way possible. He would frequently call to check in on Assistant State Attorney Arielle Demby Berger, the head of the Conviction Review Unit, and offer our team encouragement to continue to do the important work of justice.”
Leonard Cure | Innocence Project of Florida | Unlock the Truth
Read about Leonard Cure's wrongful conviction. This innocent man spent more than 16 years in prison before being freed in April 2020.
floridainnocence.org
Georgia cop shoots man who spent 16 years in prison on wrongful conviction
A man who spent more than 16 years in prison in Florida on a wrongful conviction was shot and killed by a sheriff's deputy in Georgia
Try what? This?
“After he was freed and exonerated by our office, he visited prosecutors at our office and participated in training to help our staff do their jobs in the fairest and most thorough way possible. He would frequently call to check in on Assistant State Attorney Arielle Demby Berger, the head of the Conviction Review Unit, and offer our team encouragement to continue to do the important work of justice.”
Happens all the time. Usually its someone who goes in a punk ass gang banger but comes out with a braid and smells of sweet grass.
Exonerated man looked forward to college after prison but cop killed him during traffic stop
Author of the article:Associated Press
Associated Press
Russ Bynum And Terry Spencer
Published Oct 17, 2023 • 5 minute read
SAVANNAH, Ga. — Leonard Cure tried to make up for the 16 years he lost imprisoned in Florida after being wrongfully convicted of armed robbery in 2004.
Since being freed three years ago, he gave inspirational talks to high school students, worked a security job and, at age 53, was considering college after buying a home.
Then a Georgia sheriff’s deputy pulled Cure over Monday along Interstate 95, just north of the Florida line. Authorities say Cure had been speeding at more than 90 mph (145 kph), and faced arrest for reckless driving. Instead of going to jail, he ended up dead.
The Black man was compliant until he was told he was under arrest, according to a Georgia Bureau of Investigation statement.
Citing preliminary information, the GBI said the deputy tased Cure after he didn’t obey the officer’s commands, Cure assaulted the deputy, and the deputy then used the Taser a second time, along with a baton, before pulling out his gun and shooting him.
Video recorded by the deputy’s body camera and patrol car dash camera will be reviewed along with the officer’s statement and other evidence before the agency sends its findings to prosecutors, said Stacy Carson, the GBI agent leading the shooting investigation.
Studies show Black Americans face a disproportionate risk of being wrongfully convicted of crimes or killed by police. The anxiety for people freed after doing time for crimes they didn’t commit can be intense, said Seth Miller, executive director of the Innocence Project of Florida.
Miller, who worked to help Cure win freedom, said he’s seen dozens of exonerated clients grapple with “an overarching fear that at any moment the cops are going to come” and take them back to jail or prison.
“That’s the context that people need to understand when they view any situation like this: You have a perfectly wonderful person who has a wrongful incarceration in their past and how that might contribute,” Miller said. “It is a tragedy all around.”
Cure was pulled over while driving to the home he recently bought outside Atlanta after visiting his ill mother, Miller said. Two weeks earlier, Cure had shared his story with high school students at an Innocence Project event in Georgia.
“Lenny was a good soul, cared about people,” Miller said. “He was getting his life back together.”
Equally stunned were Florida prosecutors who had stayed in touch with Cure since reviewing his case and agreeing he should go free. Cure was the first person exonerated by the Conviction Review Unit of Broward State Attorney Harold F. Pryor.
“The Leonard we knew was a smart, funny and kind person,” Pryor said in a statement. “He had been working a job in security, he was hoping to go to college and wanted to work in broadcast radio production.”
Many details of what led to the fatal shooting have not been made public. No incident report was available Tuesday, Camden County Sheriff’s Capt. Larry Bruce said. He and Carson declined to release the videos, citing the open investigation.
Bruce said Cure was reluctant to exit the vehicle — the deputy asked several times before he complied.
“When he got toward the back of the truck and he was going to be handcuffed, that’s when he turned violent,” Bruce said.
The GBI statement said Cure “assaulted” the deputy after he was shocked with a stun gun. Carson declined to give further details.
“I would say attacked him,” said Bruce. “It was a physical confrontation of violence.”
Authorities did not immediately release the name of the deputy, who was placed on administrative leave. Carson said he is a white man.
Black people in the U.S. have been nearly three times more likely to be killed by law enforcement officers than whites over the past decade, according to the Mapping Police Violence project, which tracks the killings using Justice Department statistics and crowdsourced databases.
Likewise, Black Americans face a higher risk of being imprisoned for crimes they didn’t commit. The Equal Justice Initiative reported last year that Black people were seven times more likely to be wrongfully convicted than white people, based on a review of 3,200 exonerations since 1989.
Cure was sentenced to life in prison for a 2003 armed robbery at a drug store in Florida’s Dania Beach. It took a second trial to convict him after the first jury deadlocked. Cure’s stiff sentence resulted in part from his prior convictions for robbery and other crimes.
In 2020, Broward’s Conviction Review Unit asked a judge to release Cure after concluding that he had solid alibis — he was miles away and traveling to work on a bus when the robbery happened — and no physical evidence or solid witnesses tied him to the crime.
Cure was released that April. A few months later, a judge vacated his conviction and sentence. Three more years passed before Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a claims bill granting Cure $817,000 in compensation for his conviction and imprisonment, along with educational benefits. Miller said Cure received the money in August.
Dr. Joshua Golden, a dentist in suburban Fort Lauderdale who replaced Cure’s front teeth in 2021, said they joked about how styles and life had changed during his time in prison. He never sounded bitter, Golden said.
“He was a really upbeat guy and excited,” Golden said. “There were no signs when he came to our office of any anger or any rage. He was happy to be out.”
Another exoneree, however, said the fear of getting thrown behind bars again never goes away.
Christopher Ochoa spent 12 years in a Texas prison for a murder he didn’t commit, getting released after DNA testing and the killer’s confession cleared him. He still gets nervous when he deals with police officers, even though he has been out of prison for 21 years, graduated from law school and spent time as a criminal defense lawyer before becoming legal affairs director for an oil company.
About a year after his release, Ochoa was riding with his then-girlfriend and her two small children when they got pulled over because their car matched one used in a nearby burglary. The officers quickly cleared them, but he couldn’t stop shaking, even after they got home.
“My girlfriend couldn’t understand why I was so shook up if I hadn’t done anything. Well, the last time I didn’t do anything, and I did 12 years in prison,” Ochoa said. Even today, anytime he interacts with a police officer, he tells himself to just stay calm and “don’t talk back to the cops at all.”
“I just have to keep in mind not to say anything, not to rock the boat,” Ochoa said.
torontosun.com
Author of the article:Associated Press
Associated Press
Russ Bynum And Terry Spencer
Published Oct 17, 2023 • 5 minute read
SAVANNAH, Ga. — Leonard Cure tried to make up for the 16 years he lost imprisoned in Florida after being wrongfully convicted of armed robbery in 2004.
Since being freed three years ago, he gave inspirational talks to high school students, worked a security job and, at age 53, was considering college after buying a home.
Then a Georgia sheriff’s deputy pulled Cure over Monday along Interstate 95, just north of the Florida line. Authorities say Cure had been speeding at more than 90 mph (145 kph), and faced arrest for reckless driving. Instead of going to jail, he ended up dead.
The Black man was compliant until he was told he was under arrest, according to a Georgia Bureau of Investigation statement.
Citing preliminary information, the GBI said the deputy tased Cure after he didn’t obey the officer’s commands, Cure assaulted the deputy, and the deputy then used the Taser a second time, along with a baton, before pulling out his gun and shooting him.
Video recorded by the deputy’s body camera and patrol car dash camera will be reviewed along with the officer’s statement and other evidence before the agency sends its findings to prosecutors, said Stacy Carson, the GBI agent leading the shooting investigation.
Studies show Black Americans face a disproportionate risk of being wrongfully convicted of crimes or killed by police. The anxiety for people freed after doing time for crimes they didn’t commit can be intense, said Seth Miller, executive director of the Innocence Project of Florida.
Miller, who worked to help Cure win freedom, said he’s seen dozens of exonerated clients grapple with “an overarching fear that at any moment the cops are going to come” and take them back to jail or prison.
“That’s the context that people need to understand when they view any situation like this: You have a perfectly wonderful person who has a wrongful incarceration in their past and how that might contribute,” Miller said. “It is a tragedy all around.”
Cure was pulled over while driving to the home he recently bought outside Atlanta after visiting his ill mother, Miller said. Two weeks earlier, Cure had shared his story with high school students at an Innocence Project event in Georgia.
“Lenny was a good soul, cared about people,” Miller said. “He was getting his life back together.”
Equally stunned were Florida prosecutors who had stayed in touch with Cure since reviewing his case and agreeing he should go free. Cure was the first person exonerated by the Conviction Review Unit of Broward State Attorney Harold F. Pryor.
“The Leonard we knew was a smart, funny and kind person,” Pryor said in a statement. “He had been working a job in security, he was hoping to go to college and wanted to work in broadcast radio production.”
Many details of what led to the fatal shooting have not been made public. No incident report was available Tuesday, Camden County Sheriff’s Capt. Larry Bruce said. He and Carson declined to release the videos, citing the open investigation.
Bruce said Cure was reluctant to exit the vehicle — the deputy asked several times before he complied.
“When he got toward the back of the truck and he was going to be handcuffed, that’s when he turned violent,” Bruce said.
The GBI statement said Cure “assaulted” the deputy after he was shocked with a stun gun. Carson declined to give further details.
“I would say attacked him,” said Bruce. “It was a physical confrontation of violence.”
Authorities did not immediately release the name of the deputy, who was placed on administrative leave. Carson said he is a white man.
Black people in the U.S. have been nearly three times more likely to be killed by law enforcement officers than whites over the past decade, according to the Mapping Police Violence project, which tracks the killings using Justice Department statistics and crowdsourced databases.
Likewise, Black Americans face a higher risk of being imprisoned for crimes they didn’t commit. The Equal Justice Initiative reported last year that Black people were seven times more likely to be wrongfully convicted than white people, based on a review of 3,200 exonerations since 1989.
Cure was sentenced to life in prison for a 2003 armed robbery at a drug store in Florida’s Dania Beach. It took a second trial to convict him after the first jury deadlocked. Cure’s stiff sentence resulted in part from his prior convictions for robbery and other crimes.
In 2020, Broward’s Conviction Review Unit asked a judge to release Cure after concluding that he had solid alibis — he was miles away and traveling to work on a bus when the robbery happened — and no physical evidence or solid witnesses tied him to the crime.
Cure was released that April. A few months later, a judge vacated his conviction and sentence. Three more years passed before Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a claims bill granting Cure $817,000 in compensation for his conviction and imprisonment, along with educational benefits. Miller said Cure received the money in August.
Dr. Joshua Golden, a dentist in suburban Fort Lauderdale who replaced Cure’s front teeth in 2021, said they joked about how styles and life had changed during his time in prison. He never sounded bitter, Golden said.
“He was a really upbeat guy and excited,” Golden said. “There were no signs when he came to our office of any anger or any rage. He was happy to be out.”
Another exoneree, however, said the fear of getting thrown behind bars again never goes away.
Christopher Ochoa spent 12 years in a Texas prison for a murder he didn’t commit, getting released after DNA testing and the killer’s confession cleared him. He still gets nervous when he deals with police officers, even though he has been out of prison for 21 years, graduated from law school and spent time as a criminal defense lawyer before becoming legal affairs director for an oil company.
About a year after his release, Ochoa was riding with his then-girlfriend and her two small children when they got pulled over because their car matched one used in a nearby burglary. The officers quickly cleared them, but he couldn’t stop shaking, even after they got home.
“My girlfriend couldn’t understand why I was so shook up if I hadn’t done anything. Well, the last time I didn’t do anything, and I did 12 years in prison,” Ochoa said. Even today, anytime he interacts with a police officer, he tells himself to just stay calm and “don’t talk back to the cops at all.”
“I just have to keep in mind not to say anything, not to rock the boat,” Ochoa said.
Exonerated man looked forward to college after prison but cop killed him during traffic stop
Leonard Cure tried to make up for the 16 years he lost imprisoned in Florida after being wrongfully convicted of armed robbery in 2004
Georgia sheriff releases body camera video of traffic stop in which deputy killed exonerated man
Author of the article:Associated Press
Associated Press
Russ Bynum
Published Oct 18, 2023 • Last updated 13 hours ago • 4 minute read
WOODBINE, Ga. (AP) — A Georgia deputy fatally shot a Black man at point-blank range during a traffic stop after the man, who had been wrongfully imprisoned years ago, grabbed the officer by the neck and was forcing his head backward, according to video released by a sheriff Wednesday.
The family of Leonard Cure, 53, viewed the dash and body camera video before Camden County Sheriff Jim Proctor’s office posted it online. Relatives said they suspect Cure resisted being arrested because of psychological trauma from spending 16 years imprisoned in Florida for an armed robbery he didn’t commit.
“I believe there were possibly some issues going on, some mental issues with my brother,” Michael Cure said of his slain brother. “I know him quite well. The officer just triggered him, undoubtedly triggered him. It was excitement met with excitement.”
The sheriff released the video two days after one of his deputies, who is white, pulled over Cure’s pickup truck on suspicion of reckless driving and, after a struggle, fatally shot him on Interstate 95 a few miles north of the Georgia-Florida line. Cure had been visiting his mother in Port St. Lucie, Florida, and was returning to a home he bought recently in metro Atlanta.
The video shows the deputy shouting several times for Cure to get out of his vehicle. Cure exits from the driver’s-side door, but at first refuses a command to put his hands on the back of the truck.
“I ain’t doing (expletive),” he tells the deputy.
Cure complies after the deputy threatens to use a stun gun on him. With his hands on the truck, he questions why he was pulled over.
“You passed me doing 100 miles per hour (160 kph),” the deputy replies.
When Cure ignores commands to put his hands behind his back, the deputy fires his stun gun — shocking Cure with electrified prongs connected to the weapon by wires. The video shows Cure spin around and start flailing his arms, as if trying to break free of the wire.
Cure grabs the deputy as highway traffic speeds past them. Both men can be seen grappling with arms around each others’ necks. Cure gets a hand on the deputy’s lower face and neck and begins forcing his head backward. The deputy strikes Cure in the side with a baton, but Cure maintains his grip.
“Yeah, bitch!” Cure says. Then a single pop can be heard.
Cure slumps to the ground and the deputy can be seen holding his handgun. He shouts at Cure to stay on the ground, then raises his radio.
“Shots fired, suspect down!” the deputy says. “Send help!”
The sheriff has placed the deputy, whose name has not been released, on administrative leave during a review by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, which is customary in Georgia for shootings involving law enforcement officers.
The agency will send its findings to Brunswick Judicial Circuit District Attorney Keith Higgins, who will determine whether to seek charges.
Higgins met with Cure’s family Wednesday after the video was released. But the prosecutor’s spokeswoman, Cheryl Diprizio, said he would not make a final decision until the bureau finishes its investigation.
Studies show Black Americans face a disproportionate risk of being killed by police or wrongfully convicted of crimes compared to white people. Both happened to Cure.
After viewing the video, Cure’s relatives said they still believe shooting him was unnecessary. Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who is representing the family, blamed the deputy for acting aggressively from the start and never attempting to de-escalate the conflict with Cure.
“He really should be alive,” Michael Cure said. “The officer hit him with his baton and he tased him, twice as a matter of fact. But he did not have to shoot him.”
Cure was wrongfully convicted of armed robbery in 2004 and was sentenced to life in prison in Florida, but authorities reviewing his case in 2020 concluded he didn’t commit the crime. He was released three years ago.
Cure’s mother and brothers said he lived in constant fear of being arrested and incarcerated again. Michael Cure said he’s confident that’s why his brother resisted arrest.
Before watching the video, Cure’s family held a news conference outside the Camden County courthouse. Mary Cure grasped a framed portrait of her slain son and said she knew when officers came to her Florida home Monday that he had been killed, even before they told her.
“I don’t feel, no matter what happened, that he should have been killed,” Mary Cure said.
When Cure was wrongfully imprisoned, the Innocence Project of Florida persuaded a case review unit of the Broward County prosecutor’s office to take a look at his case. That unit examined an ATM receipt and other evidence that Cure was miles away from the robbery. A judge vacated his conviction in 2020.
“He is someone that was failed by the system once and he has again been failed by the system. He’s been twice taken away from his family,” Seth Miller, executive director of the Innocence Project of Florida, said Wednesday.
Miller said that for so many of his clients, including Cure, their biggest fear is that an officer will knock on their door or stop them while driving “without cause, for something they didn’t do, send them back right where they worked so hard to get out of.”
“I can only imagine that must have been what he was thinking during this traffic stop,” Miller said.
torontosun.com
Author of the article:Associated Press
Associated Press
Russ Bynum
Published Oct 18, 2023 • Last updated 13 hours ago • 4 minute read
WOODBINE, Ga. (AP) — A Georgia deputy fatally shot a Black man at point-blank range during a traffic stop after the man, who had been wrongfully imprisoned years ago, grabbed the officer by the neck and was forcing his head backward, according to video released by a sheriff Wednesday.
The family of Leonard Cure, 53, viewed the dash and body camera video before Camden County Sheriff Jim Proctor’s office posted it online. Relatives said they suspect Cure resisted being arrested because of psychological trauma from spending 16 years imprisoned in Florida for an armed robbery he didn’t commit.
“I believe there were possibly some issues going on, some mental issues with my brother,” Michael Cure said of his slain brother. “I know him quite well. The officer just triggered him, undoubtedly triggered him. It was excitement met with excitement.”
The sheriff released the video two days after one of his deputies, who is white, pulled over Cure’s pickup truck on suspicion of reckless driving and, after a struggle, fatally shot him on Interstate 95 a few miles north of the Georgia-Florida line. Cure had been visiting his mother in Port St. Lucie, Florida, and was returning to a home he bought recently in metro Atlanta.
The video shows the deputy shouting several times for Cure to get out of his vehicle. Cure exits from the driver’s-side door, but at first refuses a command to put his hands on the back of the truck.
“I ain’t doing (expletive),” he tells the deputy.
Cure complies after the deputy threatens to use a stun gun on him. With his hands on the truck, he questions why he was pulled over.
“You passed me doing 100 miles per hour (160 kph),” the deputy replies.
When Cure ignores commands to put his hands behind his back, the deputy fires his stun gun — shocking Cure with electrified prongs connected to the weapon by wires. The video shows Cure spin around and start flailing his arms, as if trying to break free of the wire.
Cure grabs the deputy as highway traffic speeds past them. Both men can be seen grappling with arms around each others’ necks. Cure gets a hand on the deputy’s lower face and neck and begins forcing his head backward. The deputy strikes Cure in the side with a baton, but Cure maintains his grip.
“Yeah, bitch!” Cure says. Then a single pop can be heard.
Cure slumps to the ground and the deputy can be seen holding his handgun. He shouts at Cure to stay on the ground, then raises his radio.
“Shots fired, suspect down!” the deputy says. “Send help!”
The sheriff has placed the deputy, whose name has not been released, on administrative leave during a review by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, which is customary in Georgia for shootings involving law enforcement officers.
The agency will send its findings to Brunswick Judicial Circuit District Attorney Keith Higgins, who will determine whether to seek charges.
Higgins met with Cure’s family Wednesday after the video was released. But the prosecutor’s spokeswoman, Cheryl Diprizio, said he would not make a final decision until the bureau finishes its investigation.
Studies show Black Americans face a disproportionate risk of being killed by police or wrongfully convicted of crimes compared to white people. Both happened to Cure.
After viewing the video, Cure’s relatives said they still believe shooting him was unnecessary. Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who is representing the family, blamed the deputy for acting aggressively from the start and never attempting to de-escalate the conflict with Cure.
“He really should be alive,” Michael Cure said. “The officer hit him with his baton and he tased him, twice as a matter of fact. But he did not have to shoot him.”
Cure was wrongfully convicted of armed robbery in 2004 and was sentenced to life in prison in Florida, but authorities reviewing his case in 2020 concluded he didn’t commit the crime. He was released three years ago.
Cure’s mother and brothers said he lived in constant fear of being arrested and incarcerated again. Michael Cure said he’s confident that’s why his brother resisted arrest.
Before watching the video, Cure’s family held a news conference outside the Camden County courthouse. Mary Cure grasped a framed portrait of her slain son and said she knew when officers came to her Florida home Monday that he had been killed, even before they told her.
“I don’t feel, no matter what happened, that he should have been killed,” Mary Cure said.
When Cure was wrongfully imprisoned, the Innocence Project of Florida persuaded a case review unit of the Broward County prosecutor’s office to take a look at his case. That unit examined an ATM receipt and other evidence that Cure was miles away from the robbery. A judge vacated his conviction in 2020.
“He is someone that was failed by the system once and he has again been failed by the system. He’s been twice taken away from his family,” Seth Miller, executive director of the Innocence Project of Florida, said Wednesday.
Miller said that for so many of his clients, including Cure, their biggest fear is that an officer will knock on their door or stop them while driving “without cause, for something they didn’t do, send them back right where they worked so hard to get out of.”
“I can only imagine that must have been what he was thinking during this traffic stop,” Miller said.
Georgia sheriff releases body camera video of traffic stop in which deputy killed exonerated man
A Georgia sheriff released video of a traffic stop in which a deputy fatally shot a Black man who was wrongfully imprisoned for 16 years