Monitoring Desk
ISLAMABAD/LOS ANGELES: A $50 million lawsuit has been filed by the family of a black man who died in detention in Los Angeles after being repeatedly tasered by police.
Keenan Anderson, a 31-year-old father and a high school teacher, was seen on surveillance camera pleading for his life and yelling, “They’re trying to kill me!”
He was detained, according to the police, after attempting to escape a car accident. According to civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump, the case would create a precedent that would help end police killings.
Los Angeles police accused of killing
At a news conference on Friday, Crump stated the Los Angeles police “want to throw this under the carpet like they want to do want to do to all the young people they kill unjustly. Why don’t you engage black folks with respect and humanity, he added, adding that “de-escalation is only for white people?”
The six-year-old kid was Anderson’s only heir. Anderson is Patrisse Cullors’ cousin and the co-founder of Black Lives Matter.
LAPD arrested Anderson during Christmas break
Anderson was arrested in the Los Angeles area of Venice, which is home to a beach, on January 3. During his Christmas break from Washington, DC, where he taught English to 15 and 16-year-olds, he had been spending time with family.
Officers then claimed that a “felony hit-and-run” was why police were called to the scene. They claimed Anderson tried to rob someone before causing an accident.
His family has demanded the release of the full video of his arrest. They have also requested the removal of Police Chief Michel Moore from his office.
Crump said Friday that they had ordered the Department of Justice to investigate the matter.
“Why would they stop killing us if you blame the victim and not hold officers accountable?” Keenan Anderson’s younger sister Dominique made this statement Thursday at a rally.
“The police are supposed to protect and assist the public, yet they abuse their power and show no regard for human life. He deserves to be hugging his son as well, but instead, Keenan’s accidental death at the hands of the LAPD prevents him from leaving his son fatherless,” she said.
In a statement, the community at his former school, Digital Pioneers Academy, expressed anger that, once again, a recognized, respected and loved member of our society is no longer with us.
