On June 8 2015 retired police officer Anthony Long, also known as E7 is scheduled to stand trial for murder of Azelle Rodney who died after being hit six times in a volley of eight shots within two seconds on April 30th 2005. The trial is a historic phase in a decade long campaign that has included the now customary Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) “insufficient evidence” to prosecute back in July 2006. However, after relentless campaigning by Azelle’s mother Sis Susan Alexander and her legal team, as well as amendments in the law, the public inquiry into Rodney’s death, chaired by a former high court judge, Sir Christopher Holland, ruled that evidence previously kept secret can in fact be made public. In July 2013 the judicial inquiry found that the “E7” had “no lawful justification” for opening fire. On July 30th 2014 announced that long will be prosecuted for murder.
In contrast, the CPS, declared on 29/05/15 that there is “insufficient evidence” to prosecute police officers for the death of Olaseni Lewis who died after being restrained by police officers and hospital staff in September 2010. The CPS stated there was insufficient evidence strikes with a police baton and the handcuffing of Mr Lewis were unreasonable or unlawful in the circumstances and the actions could not be considered as an offence of assault occasioning ABH, as defined by law. According to the CPS statement: “It is important to remember the law entitles officers to restrain an individual until they achieve control,” it continued “The evidence of the hospital staff does not, on the whole, criticise the methods as excessive and there is considerable evidence as to Mr Lewis’ strength and violence.” Raju Bhatt, of Bhatt Murphy, solicitors for Mr Lewis’s family, said they were not surprised by the decision and they looked to the full inquest “to ensure that this matter receives the rigorous scrutiny that has been so signally absent over the last four-and-a-half years of prevarication and worse.”
Interestingly, the family of Olaseni Lewis, along with that of Sean Rigg who died in police custody in Mosiah (Aug) 2008 were recipients of a letter from Home Secretary Theresa May in April 2015. May wrote that she wanted to solve significant problems for those fighting for justice following the deaths of relatives, and has ordered her officials to carry out a review. Campaigners said the home secretary’s comments are in contrast to “decades of indifference” from previous governments about the uphill battle faced by grieving families.
The Lewis announcement comes on the heels of the inquest jury verdict that found neglect contributed to the death of Kingsley Burrell, who suffered a cardiac arrest after being restrained for a prolonged period of time with a towel over his head at the Oleaster Health Unit in March 2011. The CPS had previously ruled there was to prosecute police officers for the death. Kingsley’s sister Kadisha Brown-Burrell said in response to the verdict said police and medical staff should now face action and called on the CPS to reconsider its original “insufficient evidence” decision in relation to the case. Four West Midlands Police officers will face disciplinary hearings in June in relation to the case.
In a development eerily similar to the Metropolitan Police surveillance of the Lawrence family, the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) has recently referred its investigation into possible “improper surveillance” by Humberside Police on Christopher Alder’s sister Janet Alder and another person to prosecutors. Former paratrooper Christopher Alder infamously died in police custody in April 1998 face down on the floor of Queen’s Gardens Police Station in Humberside with his underpants and trousers by his knees while police officers around him made monkey noises. It later emerged his body had lain in a mortuary for 11 years while a woman’s body had been buried in his grave.
The irony is that many in the UK may be more familiar with the cases of Michael Brown, Eric Garner and Freddie Gray than some of those mentioned above. Yet, the parallels are clear and long standing. So for example, even though the charging of police officers in the Freddie Gray case is welcome, the outcome is by no means guaranteed. As the Christopher Alder case typifies there the CPS overturned its initial “insufficient evidence” decision to allow police officers to be charged with manslaughter only for the trial judge to order the jury to find the officers not guilty on all charges. Nevertheless, the United Friends and Families Campaign (UFFC), is seeking to make direct links with the #blacklivesmatter campaigns in the USA to highlight the global nature of the systemic war on Afrikan people.
So we ask the question:
Deaths in custody – Will we ever get justice? Part 3
- Will you be attending the Anthony Long/officer E7 trial?
- Would any of these cases get anywhere near a court without the boundless resilience of the families as opposed to the existing structures of the criminal justice system?
- Will the Home Secretary’s letter bring about change in the way the state handles death in custody cases?
- Does the Janet Alder surveillance demonstrate how unrepentant the police are?
- Is this unprecedented amount of legal activity in indication that a breakthrough is near?
- Why is UFFC making links with the #blacklivesmatter campaigns in the USA?
Our special guests are:
Bro. Ldr. Mbandaka: Resident guest who is Spiritual Leader of the Alkebu-Lan Revivalist Movement and UNIA-ACL Ambassador for the UK. A veteran activist of over 30 years standing, a featured columnist in The Whirlwind newspaper and author of Mosiah Daily Affirmations and Education: An Africentric Guide To Excellence
Sis. Askale Miriam (Marcia Rigg): is the older sister of Bro. Sean Rigg who died in Brixton Police station on 21/08/2008. Sis. Askale has lead the campaign to get justice for her brother, compelling her to give up her 20-year career as a legal PA in the City, as leading the campaign “has been like a full time job.” Although the campaign is ongoing it has scored some significant legal victories against the state. Sis. Askale is the current Chair of the United Friends and Families Campaign (UFFC), a coalition of those affected by deaths in police, prison and psychiatric custody.
Representatives from some of deaths in custody campaigns (to be confirmed)
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