In The Name Of George Floyd: 10 Other Black People Killed Unjustly By Police
Two years ago today (May 25), a young woman stopped to record a Black man crying out in pain as he was arrested on the streets of Minneapolis. For more than nine minutes, former police officer Derek Chavin pressed his knee onto George Floyd’s neck as he struggled for his last breath. Although the nationwide response was broad and unforgettable, it didn’t translate into further preservation of Black lives during police encounters. In fact, despite political pressure, protests and attempts to work with law enforcement, the Mapping Police Violence database indicates that Black people are still 2.9 times more likely to be killed by police than white people in the U.S.
Here are 10 similarly high profile cases of Black people who have died since Floyd but whose names we will refuse to forget.
Amir Locke (Feb. 2, 2022)
In a city already frustrated over the deaths of George Floyd and Daunte Wright, police entered the 22-year-old Minneapolis man’s apartment, having obtained both a “knock” and “no-knock” warrant. Officers entered the apartment – using a key – ss part of a homicide investigation for neighboring St. Paul, Minn. They announced they had a search warrant and found Locke on the couch. As he attempted to get up, police opened fire, and fatally wounded him. Minnesota attorney general Keith Ellison announced in April that not enough evidence existed to indict the officers involved.
Fanta Bility (Aug. 27, 2022)
An altercation between two groups led to gunfire at a high school football game in Sharon Hill, Penn., but prosecutors say when shots were fired in the direction of police officers they shot back into the crowd striking four victims One of those innocent lives belonged to 8-year-old Fanta, who was at the game with her family. Three officers were charged with manslaughter in the incident. Two other individuals involved in the shooting had faced serious charges including attempted murder and aggravated assault, but they have since been dismissed.
Latoya Denise James (May 4, 2021)
Camden County sheriff's deputies staged a raid at a house in Woodbine, Ga. where Latoya Denise, 37, James was visiting her cousin. They were there to execute a drug-related search warrant. Instead, a shootout ensued between a group of people in the home and officers, killing James and wounding her cousin. District Attorney Keith Higgins announced that the officers used justifiable force and declined to file charges against the officers involved.
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Daunte Wright (April 11, 2021)
Just a few miles from where George Floyd died and in the midst of Derek Chauvin’s murder trial, Daunte Wright, a 20-year-old Brooklyn Park, Minn., man was pulled over for driving with expired license plate tags. Upon learning that Wright had a warrant out, police attempted to arrest him. However, Wright began to struggle with the officers and broke free. Kim Potter, a veteran of the Brooklyn Park police force, pulled her service weapon instead of her taser to stop Wright. She fired her weapon once and it was enough to fatally wound Wright. Potter resigned and was later convicted of second degree manslaughter. She was sentenced to two years in prison.
Jenoah Donald (Feb. 4, 2021)
After a “suspicious activity” call outside Vancouver, Wash., the Mercedes-Benz driven by Jenoah Donald, 30, was pulled over when officers noticed a broken tail light. One of the Clark County sheriff’s deputy’s thought she saw a weapon in the car, and Donald was immediately ordered to show his hands. A second deputy, Sean Boyle, threatened to sic a police dog on Donald and wound up hitting him. According to police records, a scuffle ensued and Boyle pulled his weapon, warning Donald he would shoot. He fired twice. Donald died a week later. No weapon was found in the vehicle. Prosecutors said police issued a warning before they asked Donald to comply and that no reason was given for officers trying to get him out of his car. But a judicial panel determined that Boyle was justified in firing and was not charged in Donald’s death.
Vincent Belmonte (Jan. 5, 2021)
His family insisted that Vincent Belmonte was driving a borrowed car so that he could take his girlfriend to work. Police tried to pull Belmonte, 20, over for a loud muffler and say they also suspected the car was stolen. It led to a car chase when Belmonte hit a fire hydrant and ran from the car. East Cleveland police Sgt. Larry McDonald went after him. Believing he saw Belmonte reaching for a weapon, McDonald, who is also Black, drew his and fired three shots. Before doing so, McDonald turned off his body camera, according to reports. A weapon was on Belmonte’s person, but without body camera footage, there was no independent way of knowing if he was reaching for it. In October, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost announced that a grand jury decided McDonald would not face charges in Belmonte’s death, saying he acted within the boundaries of the law.
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Monica Goods (Dec. 22, 2020)
With a car filled with family members, Tristan Goods was on his way to see relatives for Christmas on the New York State Thruway when New York State Police Trooper Christopher Baldner pulled the vehicle over for speeding. An exchange took place between Goods and Baldner and the trooper sprayed pepper spray into the car spurring Goods to speed away. Baldner gave chase ramming his patrol car into Goods rear twice. The second time, Goods’ car flipped over several times, ejecting Goods’ 11-year-old daughter Monica from the car leaving her dead. Baldner was charged with second-degree murder and first-degree manslaughter among other felonies. Attorneys are trying to get the case thrown out. His trial is expected to continue in September.
RELATED: 11-Year-Old Girl's Death Caused By NY State Police Heavy Handedness, Activists SayCasey Goodson (Dec. 4, 2020)
Police say 23-year-old Casey Goodson from Columbus, Ohio was carrying a gun when police shot him dead, but his family says he only had submarine sandwiches with him and was bringing the food to relatives after coming back from a dental appointment. U.S. Marshals were searching for fugitives when they came across Goodson, who they say waved a gun while driving by. When Franklin County Sheriff’s Deputies ordered him to drop the weapon, he failed to comply, prompting S.W.A.T. Deputy Jason Meade to open fire which killed him. Officials say a weapon was recovered at the scene, but have not clarified where the weapon was found. They also insisted that Goodson pointed a weapon at Meade, but Meade’s family says an autopsy showed that he was shot three times in the back.
Jonathan Price (Oct. 3, 2020)
A popular local fitness trainer, Jonathan Price, 31, was simply trying to break up a fight between a man and a woman at a Wolfe City, Tex., gas station. The man began to fight Price, but when police came, although he reportedly put his hands up and was unarmed, officers used their tasers on him. One of the officers, Shaun Lucas, drew his weapon and fired at Price, fatally wounding him. Lucas was terminated from the force and later arrested and charged in Price’s death. He plead not guilty to a murder charge. A trial date was set for May 23, 2022.
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Patrick Lyoya (April 4, 2022)
Patrick Lyoya was a refugee whose family fled the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the United States fearing violence in the war-torn African nation. Lyoya, 26, was stopped by a Grand Rapids, Mich., police officer who pulled him over due to the car’s license plate not matching its registration. When confronted by GRPD officer Christopher Schurr, a brief foot-chase ensued ending with Lyoya being shot in the back of the head. Kent County, Mich., prosecutors have not yet made a decision on whether or not to bring the case to a grand jury. However, activists and locals are calling for criminal charges in the case.
