LA police open investigation into death of BLM co-founder's cousin

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
13 Jan 15:59

Los Angeles police open an investigation into the death of an African American after a Los Angeles police officer used a Taser on him.

The arrest of Keenan Anderson was captured on bodycam footage (BBC)

The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) has launched an investigation into the death of Keenan Anderson, the cousin of a Black Lives Matter (BLM) co-founder, as well as two other men shot by its officers since the beginning of 2023, according to media reports.

Anderson, a 31-year-old high school teacher related to BLM co-founder Patrisse Cullors, died on January 3 after California police used a Taser gun on him following a traffic incident he presumably caused, according to body-cam footage released by the LAPD on Wednesday.

The other two incidents the LAPD is investigating occurred on January 2 and 3, when police fatally shot Takar Smith, 45, and Oscar Sanchez, 35.

"Full investigations are underway, and I pledge that the City's investigations into these deaths will be transparent and will reflect the values of Los Angeles… Furthermore, the officers involved must be placed on immediate leave," Mayor Karen Bass was quoted as saying by NBC News.

A wave of protests and riots against police violence and racial injustice in May 2020 rippled across the United States and other parts of the world.

The death of George Floyd, an African-American who died as police officers brutally arrested him in Minneapolis, sparked widespread social unrest.

Following Floyd's death, the Black Lives Matter movement, which advocates for police reform and opposes racially-motivated violence against black people, gained traction in the United States.