In the United States, a 31-year-old teacher and father died of cardiac arrest on January 3 in Los Angeles, California, shortly after being brutally detained by police in the context of a trivial car accident.
The death of African-American Keenan Anderson brings to three the number of deaths of a police officer in the western city since the beginning of the year.
The events take place in the Venice neighborhood, where a traffic accident has just occurred. The man, whose demeanor appeared agitated, was tackled to the ground by police officers trying to control him.
The images of the scrutinized pedestrian cameras
Images from pedestrian cameras carried by law enforcement officers show that during this arrest, one of the officers puts Keenan Anderson to the ground, then leans heavily on him around the neck and chest. “They’re trying to make me a George Floyd,” then exclaims the man struggling on the ground, before being appraised and then handcuffed by a police officer.
Conscious, the individual is taken to the hospital, where he will die “about four and a half hours” later from cardiac arrest. The police assure that the 30-year-old received medical attention at the place of detention, before being hospitalized.
Toxicology tests will reveal the presence of cocaine and cannabis in his body. Pending the final results of the investigation, the city’s mayor, Karen Bass, has suspended the police.
LAPD Police Chief Michel Moore explained to him that “there is no set limit to the number of times a Taser can be used in a particular situation. However, officers should generally avoid repeated or simultaneous activations to prevent possible injuries”. However, he explained that Keenan Anderson had resisted the police.
A case reminiscent of the death of George Floyd
“There is no evidence that he drowned or anything like that. I see six Taser firings in 42 seconds and we know that the number of firings can have a detrimental effect on the cardiovascular system, particularly if the person has underlying issues,” he added. Michael. moore
The case is inevitably reminiscent of that of George Floyd, killed by the police in May 2020 while in custody. His death sparked a huge wave of protests across the country and sparked the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement. Derek Chauvin, the policeman who suffocated him with his knee, was sentenced last July to 21 years in prison by the United States federal court.
It also turns out that Keenan Anderson was a cousin of Patrisse Cullors, the co-founder of the protest movement. “All our loved ones who died after dealing with the police should be alive,” the latter reacted in the American press.
In Washington DC, where he taught, the sadness and anger are palpable. “We have so many questions,” Mashea Ashton, director of the Digital Pioneers Academy (where she taught), told reporters.
“How could the situation be calmed? How could circumstances be prevented from worsening? (…) The details of his death are as disturbing as they are tragic. Keenan was a deeply committed educator and the father of a six-year-old boy. -Old son… He was loved by everyone”.
Source: BFM TV
