The senseless killings of unarmed Black men at the hands of White police officers isn’t isolated; we’re dealing with a national epidemic.
According to the Arizona Republic, on Dec. 2, Rumain Brisbon was unarmed when he was shot and killed by a police officer in Phoenix. The incident occurred after police were told that a drug deal was occurring inside a Cadillac SUV. Police got the license plate number from the tipster and they traced it back to a home where Brisbon resided.
Police officers approached Brisbon while he was in the vehicle. The officer said Brisbon had his hands in his pockets and began to run. The officer gave chase. Brisbon ran into his apartment where two of his kids, ages 9 and 2, were in a back room.
The officer tackled Brisbon in his home and a struggle ensued. The officer said Brisbon reached into his pockets and he felt threatened by Brisbon. The officer fired two shots, and Brisbon died at the scene.
When the police searched Brisbon, he didn’t have a weapon. He only had a bottle of oxycodone pills in his pocket.
In the past six months, several unarmed Black men have been killed by white police officers. Eric Garner was choked to death in New York. Mike Brown was shot and killed by Darren Wilson in Ferguson, Missouri. John Crawford was killed by police while holding a toy gun in Walmart. In Utah, Dillon Taylor was killed by police while walking near a convenience store. And a few days ago, 12-year-old Tamir Rice was shot and killed by an officer in Cleveland while holding a toy gun.
Brisbon’s death is currently being investigated.
