Dymond Milburn’s life changed when she went outside to fix a breaker switch at her home in Galveston, Texas. Only 12-years-old at the time, Milburn saw an unmarked van pull up next to her home. Two men jumped out of the van and began to chase her. The men grabbed her and she held on to a tree while calling for her father.
The two men were plain-clothed police officers Sean Stewart and Gilbert Gomez. The officers grabbed Milburn and accused her of prostitution. Milburn attempted to get away and fought back. The police officers beat Milburn and left her with two black eyes, and injuries to her throat and eardrum. Her father attempted to protect her and was later arrested. Milburn’s medical bills were more than $8,000.
It was later determined that police officers were called to arrest three white prostitutes in a nearby area. They claimed that they chased Milburn because she ran and was the only female in the vicinity.
Milburn is not a prostitute and was an honor student when the incident occurred in 2006. She also had to endure a trial because she was charged with assault for fighting back against plainclothes police officers. She was never convicted of a crime.
Stewart and Gomez were also never charged or convicted for beating Milburn. The city of Galveston concluded that the officers reacted in the “correct manner considering the circumstance.” The officers continue to serve on the police force.
As the nation focuses on unarmed black men who are murdered by police, it’s important for citizens and lawmakers to put an end to unjust police brutality. The U.S. Justice Department must create diversity standards for every police department in America.
