Baltimore Residents Rally To Protest Police Brutality
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Dozens of people rallied in front of City Hall to protest incidents of police brutality. Among the crowd were mothers and family members who have lost loved ones at the hands of police.
Rochelle Ritchie has more.
Those who participated say the recent incidents of police brutality and the revelations from a Baltimore Sun investigation reveal citizens are not safe from those who are meant to protect.
Fed up and frustrated, Mothers Against Police Brutality stood together in protest at City Hall to demand changes in the police department. Among them, Darlene Cain, who lost her son Dale in 2008 after she says he was gunned down by police.
"He was shot and killed like a dog. He was shot in his heart; he was shot in his back," Cain said.
Excessive force is still an issue four years after her son's death. Video from 2012 shows protesters being pepper sprayed in the face while lying on the ground.
"Next thing you know, some big cop came; he hit me," said one man.
And two years after that, officers in two separate incidents allegedly used excessive force.
"This police brutality is real and it needs to stop," said Tawanda Jones.
Jones is the sister of Tyrone West, who died after a routine traffic stop escalated into a struggle between her brother and officers. She says cops' rights put them above the law and helps them get away with excessive force---even murder.
"They have 10 days to come up with a statement and that's ridiculous. Why are they above the law?" she said.
The issues of police misconduct are now a federal probe as the Department of Justice looks into the practices of the department.
"They need to know what is broke and how to fix it. It is public trust that will drive down crime in Baltimore or this country," said Ron Davis, Department of Justice.
Jones says it is time for Baltimore City residents to become part of a national effort to hold officers accountable.
"We see in Ferguson---everybody is pulling together and they are not stopping. We are not going to stop but it takes more than just the West family," Jones said.
Cain and Jones say the autopsy reports of their loved ones have not been released.
Councilman Bill Welch is expected to speak at the event.
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