Vigil held for Tanisha Anderson, the unarmed Black woman killed by Cleveland police, Imperial Women Coalition, community activists call for county coroner to issue ruling of homicide, Cleveland NAACP officials tried to hush criticism of police at the vigil, By Cleveland Urban News.Com, Ohio's leader in Black digital news
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Tanisha Anderson |
From the Metro Desk of Cleveland Urban News. Com and The Cleveland Urban News.Com Blog, Ohio's Most Read Online Black Newspaper and Newspaper Blog, Tel: (216) 659-0473
CLEVELAND, Ohio-The family of Tanisha Anderson, community activists and the Cleveland NAACP, led by Cleveland NAACP Executive Director Sheila Wright, held a vigil on Saturday, Nov. 22 at the family home on Ansel Road in Cleveland where the 37-year-old unarmed Black woman was killed by police on Nov 12. CLICK HERE TO GO TO THE FAMILY WEBSITE TO DONATE FOR FUNERAL SERVICES OR OTHERWISE FOR TANISHA ANDERSON
Community activists, some of whom came with stop-police- brutality signs, were asked not to rally but to allow the family to pray, and Cleveland NAACP affiliates asked some activists also not to publicly criticize police at the event, which was covered by local television channels 5 and Nineteen Action News, and Cleveland Urban News.Com, Ohio's leader in Black digital news.
But some community activists spoke out anyway against the policeman that killed Anderson.
"Too many women are getting raped and murdered," said community activist Kathy Wray Coleman, an organizer of the vigil who leads the Imperial Women Coalition."And we call for the county coroner to issue an immediate ruling of homicide in this case."
Police are not releasing the name of the officer that killed Anderson and are not saying whether or not he is on administrative leave with pay, which is policy anytime a police officer kills someone in the line of duty.
"We will get justice," said Joell Anderson, 40, Tanisha's brother who witnessed the police killing.
State Rep Bill Patmon (D-10), a Cleveland Democrat, offered condolences to the family but 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 community are getting out of hand in Cleveland and that Tanisha Anderson is another statistic.
Other speakers include Tanisha Anderson's daughter, aunt and uncles, her sister-in-law, and mother, and activists Dick Perry and the Rev Pamela Pinkney -Butts.
Other activists there include Don Bryant, Marva Patterson, Genevieve Mitchell, William Clarence Marshall, Al Porter and Ernie Smith.
"She was the best person in the world, nobody could match her" said Tanisha Anderson's 16-year-old daughter and only child Mauvian Green.
An autopsy is pending.
According to the family, an ambulance was called to the family home on Nov. 13 because Anderson, who was not violent but has a history of mental health problems, was not herself. Instead, Cleveland police arrived and ultimately placed her in handcuffs and then in the police car, even though they had no warrant and no court order to arrest her. When she verbally objected, she was allegedly slammed to the sidewalk by police. An ambulance took some 20 minutes or more to arrive at the scene and Anderson, whose body is currently with the county coroner, died. (www.clevelandurbannews.com) / (www.kathywraycolemanonlinenewsblog.com)
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