TW: Police Violence and Death – Specifically Black deaths.

Educators, how are you framing your thoughts around the events in America? Which discussions will you be having around justice?

Anti Blackness is as much as a British problem as it is a world wide. We as a culture forget about the atrocities that we committed and continue to commit. Remember that concentration camps, genocide, firing on peaceful protests are primarily a British invention.

Below is a collection of unjust Black deaths, many are in police custody (shared with permission from an activist who does not care to be named.) No, I am not here to discuss the ins and outs of each case and I am certainly not here to engage in victim blaming. This whole piece is about looking at oneself when casting stones.

As you read down the list and say their names. I want us all to contemplate the question: How many charges do you think have been brought against police officers? and do you think there are systemic issues here? If you want to know how inherent bias works, try and listen to your brain as you read the list of names and descriptions of the circumstances of their deaths.

Yes, All of these human being are from and they deaths happened in the UK.

Rashan Charles
Rashan was followed into a convenience store, here police claimed he was trying to swallow an object, he died after being chased and restrained by a police officer.

 

Mark Duggan
Mark was shot and killed by police, police attempted to arrest Duggan on suspicion of planning an attack and claimed he was in possession of a handgun, he died from a gunshot wound to the chest.

 

Darren Cumberbatch
Police were called to his property in regards to concerns around his behaviour, he was punched 15 times, police also used a baton and a taser

 

Edson Da Costa
Edson was randomly stopped in a car and was restrained by police who used “distraction blows” and extreme force, he later died in hospital from a lack of oxygen to the brain caused by a blocked airway

 

Adrian McDonald
Adrian as bitten by a police dog and tasered after reports of an intruder, whilst in the police van, Adrian complained of breathing difficulties and shouting “I can’t breathe”, he later died in hospital.

 

Nunu Cardoso
Nunu aas a law student who died in custody after being struck by a police baton while being arrested on suspicion of possession with a knife

Olaseni Lewis

Olaseni voluntarily admitted himself to hospital for mental health treatment, medical staff called police when he became agitated. 11 police officers restrained him using excessive force, he later died from his brain being starved of oxygen

Sean Rigg
Sean lived in a hostel and staff called the police after reports of him becoming aggressive, he was restrained by three officers for more than seven minutes and he later died after suffering a cardiac arrest

Daniel Adewole
Daniel was found unresponsive in his cell following an epileptic fit, officers waited 38 minutes after they first received no response at Daniel’s cell door, before opening his door. They even went for a cigarette before checking his safety.

Trevor Smith
Trevor was shot dead by police in a bedroom in his flat during an “intelligence led operation”, he died from a single gunshot wound to the chest.

Julian Cole
Julian was left paralysed and brain damaged after being tackled outside a nightclub by police officers, he suffers severe brain damage and a broken neck

Sarah Reed
Sarah was attacked and assaulted when taken into custody, she was later found unresponsive in her cell and shortly died. A police officer was caught on CCTV grabbing Sarah by the hair and then punching her as she laid on the floor

Jermaine Baker
Jermaine was shot dead by police, an officer claimed he had acted in self-defence, fearing Baker was reaching for a gun, no firearm was later found, he died from a single gunshot wound

Sheku Bayoh
Sheku was tackled by police using batons and excessive force after reports of him carrying a knife, he lost consciousness and was later pronounced dead in hospital, a postmortem concluded that he had sustained facial injuries, a fractured rib and bruises

Kevin Clarke
Kevin was restrained by up to 9 police officers while having a mental health crisis, while at the scene his condition deteriorated and he later died in hospital

Leon Briggs
Leon was restrained and detained at a local police station by police using excessive force, he became unconscious and later died in hospital

Anthony Grainger
Anthony was shot through the chest as he sat in a car by an armed police officer, detectives believed he and two others had access to firearms, however, no weapons were found in his car, he later died in hospital.

Kingsley Burrell
Kingsley was restrained by police days after being detained under the mental health act, he had been handcuffed for hours in hospital while awaiting assessment and was left face-down in a secure room with a blanket over his head, he later died from cardiac arrest.

 

Jacob Michael
Jacob was arrested for alleged affray and died in police custody, CCTV shows he was pleading for mercy after being pepper sprayed and restrained by officers

Mzee Mohammed Daley
Mzee was restrained with excessive force and arrested by police after “behaving erratically”, he later died of cardiac arrest.

Derek Bennett
Derek was shot six times by police afterwards they realised that the handgun they believed he was brandishing was in fact a cigarette lighter, he later died in hospital

Azelle Rodney
Azelle was shot at eight times by armed officers after his car was stopped, the officer stated he shot eight times because he thought Azelle was reaching for a gun.