An Illinois jury convicted former Sangamon County sheriff’s deputy Sean Grayson of second-degree murder in the 2024 shooting death of Sonya Massey, a Black woman who had called 911 for help. Grayson, who claimed he feared being scalded with hot water, was acquitted of first-degree murder, angering Massey’s family and supporters who say the verdict shows the justice system’s failure to protect Black lives.
Tag: Stop Killing Us
Posted inNational News
Justice Department opens civil rights investigation into Rankin County Sheriff’s Department3
The U.S. Department of Justice has launched a civil rights investigation into Rankin County, Mississippi, and the Rankin County Sheriff’s Department to determine whether the department engages in unconstitutional practices, including excessive force, unlawful stops and arrests, and racially discriminatory policing.
Posted inAfro Briefs
Unearthed letters and research notes expose journalist’s role in distorting Emmett Till’s story
Newly unearthed research notes and letters from William Bradford Huie reveal that he deliberately concealed vital details that could have implicated additional participants in the murder of Emmett Till, prioritizing his financial interests and the protection of his sources over the pursuit of truth and justice.
Posted inHBCU
Bowie State University honors late student with image in new MLK center
Bowie State University celebrated the ribbon-cutting of the $166-million Martin Luther King Jr. Center, which features a two-story image of late BSU student 1st Lt. Richard W. Collins III, who was killed in 2017, as well as a new sociology course and a fitness center for ROTC students.
Posted inCivil Rights
President Biden designates Springfield 1908 Race Riot National Monument to commemorate civil rights history
President Joe Biden has signed a proclamation establishing the Springfield 1908 Race Riot National Monument in Springfield, Illinois, preserving 1.57 acres of federal land and highlighting a significant moment in American history.
Posted inNational News
Autopsy confirms Sonya Massey died from gunshot wound to head, as attorney calls shooting senseless
Sonya Massey, a 36-year-old Black woman, was fatally shot in her Illinois home by a now-fired sheriff’s deputy charged with her death, and autopsy findings confirm that she died from a gunshot wound to the head.
Posted inBaltimore News
Local middle school holds vigil for for former student, Cortez Lemon
Cortez Lemon, a 14-year-old student at Leith Walk Elementary and Middle School, was fatally stabbed on July 10 after a verbal altercation on a Maryland Transportation Authority bus, prompting a vigil to remember his life and to call for an end to inner city violence.
Posted inAfro Briefs
PRESS ROOM: Nearly 90 percent of Black homicide victims killed with guns, study finds
The Violence Policy Center’s study found that guns were the most common weapon used to kill Black homicide victims in the United States in 2022, with 87.4% of these victims being killed with guns.
Posted inU.S. Government
Biden-Harris administration aim to tackle gun violence
The Biden-Harris administration and members of Congress are continuing to address the gun violence epidemic in the U.S. by introducing legislation and vowing to pass tougher gun legislation if re-elected.
Posted inNational News
Black Airman shot by deputy doted on little sister and aimed to buy mom a house, family says
U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Roger Fortson was shot dead by a sheriff’s deputy in Florida on May 3, prompting an investigation by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and a call for justice by civil rights attorney Ben Crump.
Posted in!Front Page National News
Black Uber driver shot in Ohio
Here’s what’s known about the scam surrounding the shooting By Ben FinleyThe Associated Press It was a common scam that ended with an uncommon outcome, tragically in an Ohio driveway. William J. Brock fatally shot an Uber driver because he wrongly assumed she was part of a scheme to extract $12,000 in supposed bond money […]
Posted inAfro Briefs, National News, NEWS, News, Stop Killing Us
Connecticut trooper acquitted in shooting death of Black college student following chase
By Dave Collins, The Associated Press A White Connecticut state trooper was acquitted of all charges March 15 in the death of Mubarak Soulemane, a Black 19-year-old community college student who was shot as he sat behind the wheel of a stopped stolen car holding a kitchen knife and apparently in the throes of a […]