Speak Out Against Police Violence - Chicago
Channel: Jacob Klippenstein
Date: 27/04/2012

On Thursday, April 26th, the two-month anniversary of the murder of Trayvon Martin, the families of local victims of police brutality were joined by community activists to demand justice for Rekia Boyd, Stephon Watts, Howard Morgan, Ricky Bradley, and Darrin Hanna. Thursday's action is one of many planned protests against the racist brutality of area police.




The families demand that the Chicagoland police officers responsible for these criminal acts be pulled from the street and prosecuted. They also call for continued mobilization around the case of Trayvon Martin. From Sanford, Florida to Calumet City, from Oakland, California to Douglas Park, we demand an end to the police terror!




Recently, when the pit bull of an off-duty police officer killed a two-year old lapdog, the Chicago Police Department rushed to issue a public statement: "The Chicago Police Department expects its members to demonstrate the highest standards of conduct, on and off duty, and will not permit wrongdoing to go unaddressed." But when an off-duty police officer, Dante Servin, fired recklessly into a crowd of unarmed people, killing Rekia Boyd, a twenty-two year old African American woman, police officials stated immediately and without investigation that the cop's action was justified. While the cop whose dog killed another dog was stripped of his police powers and is under investigation, there's no action by the police department against the one who killed a black woman.




"Our family feels disrespected, disgusted, and outraged. This truly shows how the city feels about the value of Black life," says Martinez Sutton, brother of Rekia Boyd.


The killing of Rekia Boyd and the unconscionable silence of the CPD are part of a standard operating procedure for Chicagoland police departments. Thousands of Chicagoans took to the streets to demand the arrest of George Zimmerman. And we will continue to fight for justice in local cases that are no less worthy of public outrage and protest.



Rekia Boyd was fatally shot by an off-duty Chicago police officer, Dante Servin, on March 21st near Douglas Park, when Servin fired a volley of 12-18 shots into an unarmed crowd.


Stephon Watts, a 15 year-old boy with autism, was shot twice and killed in his house on February 1st by Calumet City police, while holding a butter knife.


Howard Morgan, a black former Chicago police officer was working as a railroad detective when he was pulled over for a traffic violation on Feb 21, 2005 by four white junior Chicago police officers. Morgan was shot 28 times (mostly in the back) and left at the scene. The officers claimed that he had pulled his gun on them. Morgan was recently sentenced to 40 years in prison.