Remembering Cleveland police killing victim Tanisha Anderson on the 2nd-year anniversary of her death, Cleveland activist Kathy Wray Coleman of the Imperial Women Coalition organized the first vigil for Anderson, who was Black, and her family in November 2014....By editor-in-chief Kathy Wray Coleman of www.clevelandurbannews.com, Ohio's Black digital news leader....(Editor's note: Kathy Wray Coleman has allegedly been harassed by racist and corrupt White cops in jurisdictions across Cuyahoga County, corrupt judges and prosecutors, and others for her longtime community activism and writings as to women's rights, the theft of homes of Cuyahoga County residents by judges and others via illegal foreclosures, racism and sexism in general, and erroneous police killings of unarmed Black people and others).
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| Cleveland police killing victim Tanisha Anderson and her brother, Jowell Anderson |
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| Community members and activists at an anniversary vigil to remember Tanisha Anderson on Nov. 12, 2015 in Cleveland, Ohio. Yesterday, Nov 12, marked the second-year anniversary of the tragic police killing |
(www.clevelandurbannews.com) / (www.kathywraycolemanonlinenewsblog.com). Ohio's most read Black digital newspaper and Black blog.Tel: (216) 659-0473 and Email: editor@clevelandurbannews.com
CLEVELAND, URBAN NEWS.COM-Cleveland Ohio-Yesterday marked the second-year anniversary of the Cleveland police killing of Tanisha Anderson, a schizophrenic woman slammed to the pavement in front of the family home on the city's east side the night of Nov 12, 2014, and another Black statistic as to routine police killings of unarmed Black people.
Police officer Scott Aldridge, the cop who allegedly slammed Anderson to the sidewalk, and officer Bryan Meyers had arrested and handcuffed Anderson, 37-years-old at the time of her death, and were allegedly placing her in the back of the patrol car when the tragic incident occurred.
The Cuyahoga County medical examiner has ruled the killing a homicide.
An excessive force and wrongful death lawsuit is pending in federal district court and the office of the Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine is investigating the case for potential criminal charges against the two police officers.
DeWine assumed authority over the criminal investigation following a conflict of interest as to outgoing county prosecutor Tim McGinty, who is often pro-cop and anti-Black, data show. (Editor's note McGinty was denied reelection this year and lost to new county prosecutor-elect Michael O'Malley after some 70 percent of Cuyahoga County Black voters, a county that is 29 percent Black, voted against him, an initiative led by community activists, Black clergy, and 11th Congressional District Congresswoman Marcia L. Fudge, one of two Blacks in Congress from Ohio).
The city of Cleveland, a defendant in the lawsuit as are the affiliated cops, among others, has denied any wrong doing in response to the complaint, though an expert hired by Anderson's family relative to the civil lawsuit has said in his report that police did, in fact, use excessive force.
The expert, Lou Reiter, a retired deputy chief with the Los Angeles Police Department, said in part that the actions of officers officers Aldridge and Meyers, both still on the job, were "unreasonable and excessive for the circumstances."
Rallies and vigils have been ongoing in support of justice for Anderson and her family, but none were tentatively scheduled for this year.
The initial rally at the home, held on Nov. 22, 2014, 10 days after police killed her, was organized by Cleveland activist Kathy Wray Coleman of the Imperial Women Coalition, with Cleveland NAACP members, other local activists, family members and friends also attending.
"Too many women are getting raped and murdered in Cleveland and elsewhere, and now this," Coleman said at the vigil held in 2014 in front of the Anderson family home. (Editor's note: Kathy Wray Coleman has allegedly been harassed by racist and corrupt White cops in jurisdictions across Cuyahoga County, corrupt judges and prosecutors, and others for her longtime community activism and writings as to women's rights, the theft of homes of Cuyahoga County residents by judges and others, racism and sexism in general, and erroneous police killings of unarmed Black people and others).
"We will get justice," said Joell Anderson, now 42, Tanisha's brother who witnessed the police killing and was a key spokesman at the vigil two years ago.
State Rep Bill Patmon (D-10), a Cleveland Democrat and former city councilman whom Coleman asked to speak, offered condolences at the 2014 gathering to the family and said during his speech that something has to be done about the violence in Cleveland, and that police are no exception.
Activist Bill Swain said that police killings against the Black community are getting out of hand in Cleveland and that Tanisha Anderson is "another statistic."
Other speakers at the vigil include Tanisha Anderson's daughter, aunt and uncles, her sister-in-law, and mother, and activists Dick Perry, now an executive committee member of the Cleveland Chapter NAACP, and the Rev Pamela Pinkney -Butts.
Other activists there include Don Bryant, Marva Patterson, Genevieve Mitchell, William Clarence Marshall, Black on Black Crime President Al Porter, and Ernest Smith, who leads the East Cleveland activist group the Oppressed People's Nation.
"She was the best person in the world, nobody could match her" said Tanisha Anderson's then 16-year-old daughter and only child Mauvian Green.
According to the family in a previous statement to Cleveland Urban News.Com, Ohio's most read digital Black newspaper, an ambulance was called to the family home on Nov. 12 because Anderson, who was not violent but has a history of mental health problems, was not herself, and was acting out.
Anderson
Instead, Cleveland police arrested Anderson, even though they had no warrant and no court order to do so.
When Anderson verbally objected to what the family claims was an unlawful arrest, she was allegedly slammed to the sidewalk by police.
Police say Anderson resisted arrest, a claim her attorneys deny.
An ambulance took at least 20 minutes or more to arrive at the scene, the family said.
Reports say the EMS finally arrived at approximately 11:41 pm.
Reports say the EMS finally arrived at approximately 11:41 pm.
