Dorothy Danner was well aware of the dangers she faced as a black woman suffering from mental illness. In an almost prophetic piece, she wrote about her fears and the unpreparedness of the cops to deal with people like herself who’d have psychotic episodes.
Ms. Danner lamented the lack of mental health training among police, and the plight of both incarcerated and homeless persons with severe mental illness. And far from regarding mental illness as a “myth,” Ms. Danner rightly noted, “Mental illness is just that, an illness, a treatable illness and most of the public needs to be educated about that fact.” Instead, many in the general public (including some of Ms. Danner’s employers) regard persons with schizophrenia as terribly dangerous or violent, leading to unwarranted discrimination.
In October of 2016, officer Hugh Barry shot and killed 66-year-old Ms. Danner after he responded to a call made to 911 by her sister. Barry had neither the temperament nor the training to deal with the situation with which he was confronted and claimed that he pumped two shots into the unresisting body of the agitated woman because he feared for his life.
Last Thursday 2/15/2018, a judge dutifully found Hugh Barry not guilty of murder; not guilty of manslaughter; not guilty of involuntary manslaughter; not guilty of criminally negligent homicide. Not guilty of unjustifiably taking the life of Dorothy Danner.
The New York Times reported that at the reading of the verdict, Sargeant Barry’s supporters were “jubilant.”
Justice denied. Again.
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Charleena Lyles
Charleena Lyles was all of 100 lbs and stood at 5’ 3” tall. She was pregnant and known to be suffering from mental illness. Officers Jason Anderson and Steven McNew responded to a call for help made by Ms. Lyles herself. The brave officers claimed that she had a knife when they arrived and so they feared for their lives, thus they had no option but to shoot her seven times in front of her children. Eight months after the murder of Charleena, the Seattle Police Department has taken some action.
The officer who fatally shot Charleena Lyles has been suspended for just two days for his actions in the fatal shooting. As previously reported Officer Jason Anderson who fatally shot Charleena Lyles in front of her children, did NOT have a Taser on hand because it “took up too much real estate” on his utility belt.
Two days. Two fucking days.
#JusticeForCharleena.
Korryn Gaines
Korryn Gaines was shot dead in her apartment in Baltimore by Police Officer Ruby (yes, that's how he's identified - “Officer Ruby”). It made no difference to Ruby that Korryn had her 5-year-old son with her, she had to be taken out and so they did; shooting her four times and her son twice.
After the Baltimore County State Attorney’s office declined to charge the officer with murder, or with anything for that matter, attorneys for the family of Ms. Gaines sued the county and won. Bigly.
A Baltimore County jury awarded $37 million in damages to the family of Korryn Gaines, a black Maryland woman killed by county police in an August 2016 standoff that also injured her 5-year-old son.
The six female jurors decided in less than three hours that Cpl. Royce Ruby, the Baltimore County officer who fired the fatal shots, violated the civil rights of Gaines, 23, and her son, Kodi.
“Where is your moral compass?” Gordon asked rhetorically. “It was callous and sadistic.”
Ruby, who is white, remains on the police force and was promoted to corporal last year.
Rest in peace, Korryn, with the sure knowledge that your children will not suffer for want of money.
#JusticeForKorryn