10 Times Police Killed the People They Were Called to Save

10 Times Police Killed the People They Were Called to Save

More details at: http://www.alternet.org/human-rights/10-times-police-killed-people-they-were-called-save

Alfred Olango's tragic death Tuesday was proceeded by a 911 call from his sister.
By Alexandra Rosenmann / AlterNet
September 29, 2016



In San Diego, California, a mentally ill, unarmed black man died late Tuesday night at the hands of the police. His name was Alfred Olango, 30. Before his tragic death, the victim's sister had contacted the police department for assistance. She said he was "not acting like himself." So why did Olango end up dead shortly after they arrived?

To the contrary of former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani's claim at the 2016 Republican National Convention, police don't always "just come to save you." Here are 10 times police killed the very people they were called to help:

1. Alfred Olango

Protests continue in San Diego where Olango was killed by police, and an investigation is underway.

"I told you he is sick. And you guys shot him!" Olango's sister told officers in a Facebook video recorded live at the scene. "I called police to help him, not to kill him."

2. Tawon Boyd

On September 18, Boyd, "feeling disoriented," called 911 for help. He died the following Wednesday as a result of the altercation with the police who "repeatedly punched" him soon after they arrived.

3. Melissa Boarts

Boarts' mother, Terry, feared her manic depressive daughter would hurt herself. Now, she insists she will never call the police again. "Parents called 911 to help suicidal daughter—and ‘police ended up putting a bullet in her,'" The Washington Post reported April 6, three days after the incident.

4. Quintonio LeGrier

Antonio, Quintonio LeGrier's father, hoped police could help with his teenage son's emotional troubles. Like the Boarts, he never expected they would end his son's life. Quintonio LeGrier died on Dec. 26, 2015. His death has since led Chicago police to "undergo mandatory 'de-escalation' training."

5. Jeremy McDole

In a truly bizarre turn of events, Wilmington police shot a paralyzed man in a wheelchair on Sept. 23, 2015, after receiving a 911 call that he had shot himself.

6. Jason Harrison

Shirley Marshall Harrison needed assistance getting her bipolar schizophrenic son to the hospital on June 14, 2014. According to the lawsuit, "the police had been to the Harrison home a hundred times or more without incident, as it was well-known in the home and community that Jason was nonviolent."

7. Betty Sexton

On Feb. 18, 2015, Sexton called Gastonia police for help removing unwanted guests from her home. Sexton did possess a gun and had warned officers beforehand that there were weapons in the house. However, according to local reports, "Sexton made no threats and didn't fire."

8. Kevin Davis

Imagine Davis' horror when he came home and found his girlfriend stabbed. Naturally, he called the police, only to have his own life taken. He died on Dec. 29, 2014.

9. Kaldrick Donald

Kaldrick Donald's mother called the Gretna Police Department on Oct. 28, 2014. During the call she requested police conduct a Baker Act and take her son to a mental health facility. Instead, they killed the 24-year-old in his home.

10. Jack Lamar Roberson

Roberson called 911 on October 4, 2013, "after experiencing an adverse reaction to a medication he took for his diabetes," according to the Huffington Post. But he never made it to the hospital. "They just came in and shot him,” Alicia Herron, Roberson’s fiancee said.

Alexandra Rosenmann is an AlterNet associate editor. Follow her @alexpreditor.