Keenan Anderson: Black Lives Matter founder's cousin dies after police arrest - BBC

A relative of the Black Lives Matter co-founder Patrisse Cullors died hours aft helium was repeatedly tasered and restrained successful the thoroughfare by Los Angeles police.

Keenan Anderson, 31, a teacher and father, died astatine a infirmary successful Santa Monica.

Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) person released assemblage camera footage of the 3 January encounter.

It shows Mr Anderson begging for assistance arsenic officers clasp him down.

The constabulary who Tasered Mr Anderson were called to a postulation mishap successful the Venice neighbourhood of Los Angeles astatine astir 15:00 section time.

Police main Michel Moore told a quality league connected Wednesday that Mr Anderson had committed a felony hit-and-run successful a postulation collision.

He said Mr Anderson had attempted to fly the country by trying to "get into different person's car without their permission".

Footage shows Mr Anderson successful distress erstwhile constabulary arrive, telling the archetypal serviceman "somebody is trying to termination me", though nary disposable menace appears connected camera.

Initially, Mr Anderson sits down arsenic directed but arsenic much constabulary get helium gets up and runs into the thoroughfare portion ignoring requests for him to stop.

When constabulary scope Mr Anderson and effort to detain him, helium is initially compliant earlier shouting: "Please" and "help" and "they're trying to George Floyd me!" - a notation to the May 2020 execution of a achromatic antheral successful Minneapolis, Minnesota, by a policeman.

The stun weapon was initially utilized connected Mr Anderson for astir 30 seconds aft an serviceman warned him aggregate times to "stop [resisting arrest] oregon I'm going to tase you". Other officers were holding him down. He was past tasered again for astir 5 much seconds.

An ambulance arrived astir 5 minutes aft helium was tasered, constabulary said, and brought Mr Anderson to a section hospital. He died astir four-and-a-half hours aboriginal aft going into cardiac arrest, according to police.

A toxicology study produced by the LAPD showed that Mr Anderson's humor tested affirmative for cannabis and cocaine. The Los Angeles County coroner's bureau volition behaviour a abstracted report.

The footage adds to unit connected the LAPD, whose encounters with achromatic and brownish men person resulted successful 3 deaths successful nether a week.

Takar Smith, 45, and Oscar Sanchez, 35, were some changeable dormant by officers astatine the commencement of January.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass called the incidents "deeply disturbing". The constabulary section said it was investigating the 3 men's deaths.

Mr Anderson lived successful the Washington DC country and was visiting Los Angeles. His decease has renewed calls from activists for constabulary reform, immoderate of whom judge gun-carrying constabulary should not beryllium deployed to postulation accidents.

Patrisse Cullors, Black Lives Matter co-founder and Mr Anderson's cousin, told the Guardian: "My relative was asking for help, and helium didn't person it.

"My relative was frightened for his life. He spent the past 10 years witnessing a question challenging the sidesplitting of achromatic people.

"He knew what was astatine involvement and helium was trying to support himself. Nobody was consenting to support him."

Ms Cullors and others are calling for the LAPD constabulary main to resign.

Mr Moore said helium had expedited the merchandise of the video footage of Mr Anderson owed to nationalist interest. He said it usually takes 45 days.