In the event that they’ll shoot a White man 30 instances in broad daylight, what are they doing to Black folks in Tennessee when nobody is trying?
Supply: Spencer Platt / Getty
The Tennessean reviews that 9 regulation enforcement officers shot and killed Landon Eastep on a Tennessee freeway on Thursday. In an announcement launched by way of legal professional Pleasure Kimbrough, the sufferer’s widow Chelesy Eastep acknowledged that his demise was an “execution.” She mentioned her “very loving” husband favored to go on lengthy walks to clear his head and though he struggled with psychological well being issues for years, he was innocent.
“I would like folks to keep in mind that Landon didn’t deserve this. Landon wasn’t a nasty man. He was crying out for assist, and his cries went utterly unanswered. We all know, you already know, everyone with eyes is aware of,” Kimbrough mentioned at a press convention on Friday. “He was not bothering anybody. He was not obstructing or impeding visitors.”
Freeway Patrol officers reported that they discovered Eastep on foot on freeway I-65 and pulled out their weapons as a result of he allegedly had a box-cutter. Even with the blade, it seems like he was solely a critical risk to himself and possibly some tires on that freeway. As an alternative of subduing Eastep and getting him the psychological well being care he clearly wanted, they shot him an estimated 30 instances.
9 members of regulation enforcement together with Metro Nashville Police Division officers, Tennessee Freeway Patrol troopers and an off-duty Mt. Juliet officer opened hearth on Eastep.
On Friday, Nashville Police Chief John Drake introduced that he ordered the division to strip Officer Brian Murphy of police authority whereas the capturing is reviewed by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, or TBI. Murphy is a 25-year veteran of the power who fired the ultimate two pictures at Eastep from a rifle. The remaining 5 Metro Nashville officers who opened hearth are on administrative depart.
Drake additionally ordered the division’s coaching academy to “rethink their present regulation enforcement response. totally study how our officers positioned themselves on this multi-agency response and as properly assessment the techniques and procedures utilized in relation to people who we train.”
District Legal professional Glenn Funk mentioned he reviewed footage of the capturing and can observe the case carefully. He plans to take “any acceptable motion” as soon as the impartial investigation wraps up after which launch the total report from TBI.
“Because the district legal professional, I ended the apply of permitting MNPD to conduct their very own investigations of officer-involved shootings. I instantly introduced within the TBI and approved them to conduct a full and neutral investigation of your complete incident,” he mentioned.
The Nashville chapter of the NAACP confirmed their help for the Eastep household on the press convention, reminding everybody that they don’t seem to be solely preventing for Black folks to get justice. Actual justice could be having professionals to name for psychological well being emergencies who present up with de-escalation coaching as an alternative of bullets.
“If you’re right here to guard and serve, that signifies that you go above and past to be sure that these folks first are protected. When you’re defending first and also you see somebody who is definitely struggling mentally, as Mr. Eastep was, you go above and past, Nashville NAACP President Sheryl Guinn mentioned.
“That’s not what they did, and so they do that again and again. That’s the difficulty,” she mentioned. “That’s why that is so heartbreaking.”
Our condolences exit to Landon Eastep’s household and family members.
