Huffington Post contributor Shirin-Banou Barghi is credited with creating these series of graphics that aim to pay tribute to those killed by police officers.
As pundits and protestors debate over the results of Michael Brown’s autopsy, the conclusion is simply sad: the 18-year-old was surrendering at the time of his death. According to the autopsy report, the gunshots that struck the high school graduate in the head went from “back to front,” which would mean that Brown was conceding himself to authorities at the time of impending death.
Taken from the Instagram of Pharoh Martin (@AGuyNamedPharoh), Barghi’s curated creations mark just how frequent and how startling the deaths of these black men were when they happened–and how they shouldn’t be forgotten. With that said, Black Enterprise pays tribute to these numerous black men who undeservedly loss their lives at the hands of police.
Share your own testimonials and tributes to these fallen individuals in the comments section below.
The young Ohio man who was shot by police who believed the toy gun was a real one was originally found playing video games inside Wal-Mart. Police arrived believing that he was a threat and immediately he told the officer, “It’s not real,” and the police started shooting, following with, “Get on the ground.”
He was already on the ground from the bullets that riddled his body. He was only 22-years-old.
The 43-year-old’s last words came as a result of being held in a chokehold by NYPD. Eric Garner’s his death was ruled a homicide caused by prone positioning, chest, and neck compressions.
The 18-year-old is the latest victim of police brutality, as speculation clouds his death. According to an eyewitness account of the situation, police officer Darren Wilson demanded that Brown and a friend “get the f–k on the sidewalk.” A recent autopsy showed that Brown was surrendering to the officer upon being shot twice in the head.
Kimani Gray, 16, was another victim of the NYPD when he was shot and killed in East Flatbush, Brooklyn. Witnesses reported that Gray was fixing his belt when he was shot.
Sanford, Florida was thrown into the national spotlight when George Zimmerman fatally shot the 17-year-old high school student. Zimmerman shot the unarmed teen after an altercation with him. According to Martin’s friend, Rachel Jeantel, 19, with whom he was on the phone before he was shot, “A man was watching him.” She added, “He kept complaining that a man was just watching him.”
The 23-year-old recently engaged father lost his life to the NYPD after undercover police shot 50 rounds in his direction. Bell’s friend, Joseph Guzman, who was also seriously wounded said that he spoke to his friend one last time, saying, “S, I love you, son.” Bell, fading fast replied, “I love you too,” and then Guzman said Bell “stopped moving.”
The Bay is no stranger to bouts with the local police, as Johannes Mehserle was responsible for the death of 23-year-old Oscar Grant. The BART police officer testified that he meant to zap the former butcher at Farmer Joe’s Marketplace with his taser as they were in an Oakland train station. Instead, the officer pulled his .40 caliber handgun and killed the man, which was captured on video, and uploaded to YouTube.
Simply put, t
he 24-year-old North Carolina resident never had an opportunity to “save himself.” Bullets impaled his body before he hit the ground, plus police officer Randall Kerrick did not offer any warning. Never once did the young man receive any word to stop, so he didn’t have a chance to react to being shot 10 times directly in the torso.Police thought that 19-year-old Kendrec McDade was armed because, wait for it, he clutched his waistband as they chased him onto a dimly lit neighborhood street. Killed in March of 2012 by Pasadena police, McDade had his life taken from him because the Citrus College student “changed directions” and “sprinted within two feet of” Officer Mathew Griffin, which prompted Griffin and Officer Jeffrey Newlen to fatally shoot the teen.
The chill November air didn’t do anything to cool to hot tempers, as police killed a 68-year-old retired former-Marine in his own home. After his Life Aid medical alert necklace triggered inadvertently, and despite his objections and statements that he did not need help – police broke down Kenneth Chamberlain Sr.’s door, tasseled him, and then shot him dead.
With these deaths at the forefront of our consciousness — what can be done to protect ourselves and our loved ones?! Speak on it below!