People's Tribunal on Police Brutality video part 19
Genevieve Mitchell (more tribunals), Carol Steiner (support in court), Bill Swain (politicians), Ed Little, and Uncle Bobby respond. Rev. Pinckney-Butts comments. Alice Ragland introduces Alicia Kirkman, mother of Angelo Miller, who begins testimony.
~ Puncture the Silence
, “People's Tribunal on Police Brutality video part 19,” A People's Archive of Police Violence in Cleveland, accessed March 29, 2024, https://www.archivingpoliceviolence.org/items/show/77.
Show Archival Record
Dublin Core
Title
People's Tribunal on Police Brutality video part 19
Description
Genevieve Mitchell (more tribunals), Carol Steiner (support in court), Bill Swain (politicians), Ed Little, and Uncle Bobby respond. Rev. Pinckney-Butts comments. Alice Ragland introduces Alicia Kirkman, mother of Angelo Miller, who begins testimony.
Creator
Puncture the Silence
Date
2015-04-11
Identifier
CLE.001.023
Format
.mp4
Language
English
Coverage
Cleveland, Ohio, USA
Video Item Type Metadata
Duration
7 minutes, 47 seconds
Transcription
Genevieve Mitchell—“Young man, young brother, again, thank you for your testimony just real quick. I want to say to Carol that this is so highly important; we need to hold tribunals all year long, a series of them all around the City of Cleveland, around the county if necessary to get the truth out about what is going on, what is being covered up. We need to get the truth out; these people are being brutalized and we do not know about it. The media is not telling the truth; the people are afraid to talk. You've given them an opportunity to come forward; we need to keep this going, a series needs to continue all year long.”
Carol Steiner-- “I'm wondering also if we need to be at court for some of these cases.”(Several panelists: “Yes, yes...”)
Bill Swain—“I just want to thank you. That was beautiful, Dwayne. And actually the politicians, I don't even give a shit if they do hear it because the main thing is the people need to hear it. (Audience: “I love it!”) The politicians, all they want to do is smooth the shit over. Otherwise, they know some of it is going on, but they do nothing but cover it up. (Audience: “Oh, I love it!”) Thank you.”
Rev. Pinkney Butts—“I need you to come to court too, Carol. 'Cause I'm still bein' victimized. I ...Cleveland police.”
Ed Little—“Dwayne, if I could talk to you afterward, too. I know a number of attorneys that litigate these kind of cases on a regular basis. I'm sure somebody would definitely be willing to take your case on and see what they could do for you and your family. You and Kipp.“ (Audience: “I love that kind of talk.") (Rev. Pinkney Butts: “I need a lawyer too; I've been fighting mine for over 12 years.”)
Alice Ragland—“Alicia Kirkland--We have some people who have lost family members. Brenda Bickerstaff and Clarence Jones will be after.”
Uncle Bobby—“Right before Alicia talks I just want to say especially to Dwayne, as well as Kipp, it's critical that we hear your story, because you are the movement. You're the leaders of this movement, and as my sister said, this room should be full of young people. And as my brother that shared that we definitely would like to meet with you because we could share with you some of the things that you could do to make the next Tribunal a full house. It is critical, this is really not even about you today. It's about your babies--that baby that you can't hold? If you fail to stand up today, to represent that baby, or these children. Think about the kind of life they will have. If you have shared your experience with us, and know what's goin' on, and fail to stand up and speak on their behalf, think about what kind of life they will have. (Audience: “We love you, Uncle Bobby!”) That's critical. (“We love you Uncle, Bobby! Tell Alisha I said hello.”) OK.”
Alicia Kirkman--“My name is Alicia Kirkman. My son was Angelo Miller. He got killed 8 years ago. It's hard for me to like do this. You know it's been like 8 years, but it seem like the longer it is, the worse it's gettin'. He was 17 years old. He was out doin' things that some kids do. You know, we all have not did right growin' up. You know, so, he broke in a car. So, him and his friends got away, so Angelo comes back home. He gets his car, thinkin', you know, he could go get the radio he stole out the car. But it didn't happen like that. When he was pullin' up, it was a off-duty police officer. I really don't know how this went, because I wasn't there. But what I do know is when they told me that my son tried to run the police officer over, every mother knows they child, the good and the bad. I knew my son didn't try to run a police officer over. So, the guy on one tape came and you heard the one officer sayin', (breaking down crying), you heard the officer sayin', ‘Put your hands up; put your hands up’. You heard my baby sayin', ‘My hands are up; I swear to God I don't have nothin', ain't doin' nothin'’ All of a sudden the phone went dead. (Audience: Groans) My son's car was shot up 8 times. It don't take a rocket scientist, to figure out, if my son was tryin' to, run him over, why wasn't the front windshield shot out? Why wasn't the back windshield shot out? All the shots came from the side of the car. A bullet went in, you know, ricocheted, hit my son in the back. (Groans from the audience) And, you know, I had a lawyer; a lawyer came for me; it's not about no money. What's goin' happen to this police officer? (Audience: "That's right.”) You know the 911 tape is lettin' you know my son said, ‘my hands are up, I swear I ain't doin' nothin', don't got nothin'.’ But it's just a mystery. You hear your son sayin' his hands are up, but how did the car still move. You know if your child said, ‘My hands are up.’ the car gotta be stopped, you know. But, as usual, with the City of Cleveland, what they do when they know they are wrong, they will settle. They will settle. Me, I don't want your money. You know, I want this police officer to be charged. (Panelist: "What's his name?") John Lundy. So, I wanted to take it to trial. Couldn't take it to trial, because I didn't have $20,000, to take it to trial. So, I end up settling for the simple fact that my child had 2 boys. So, when his boys get older, if they want to go to college, they will be able to go to college, because they have something. (His kids was only 1.) They have somethin' from their father. You know, but it get worse and it get worse, like, every time you're watchin' the news, you know ever since my son got killed, it seem like it's gettin' worse, and you know, it's like you can't heal because the pain when you see that, like when I saw that young man runnin' for his life, and he got...they shot 8 times. (Audience: "Yeah.") How can a parent ever heal? I mean somebody asked me something before, and I told them, it's like I put on..."
Carol Steiner-- “I'm wondering also if we need to be at court for some of these cases.”(Several panelists: “Yes, yes...”)
Bill Swain—“I just want to thank you. That was beautiful, Dwayne. And actually the politicians, I don't even give a shit if they do hear it because the main thing is the people need to hear it. (Audience: “I love it!”) The politicians, all they want to do is smooth the shit over. Otherwise, they know some of it is going on, but they do nothing but cover it up. (Audience: “Oh, I love it!”) Thank you.”
Rev. Pinkney Butts—“I need you to come to court too, Carol. 'Cause I'm still bein' victimized. I ...Cleveland police.”
Ed Little—“Dwayne, if I could talk to you afterward, too. I know a number of attorneys that litigate these kind of cases on a regular basis. I'm sure somebody would definitely be willing to take your case on and see what they could do for you and your family. You and Kipp.“ (Audience: “I love that kind of talk.") (Rev. Pinkney Butts: “I need a lawyer too; I've been fighting mine for over 12 years.”)
Alice Ragland—“Alicia Kirkland--We have some people who have lost family members. Brenda Bickerstaff and Clarence Jones will be after.”
Uncle Bobby—“Right before Alicia talks I just want to say especially to Dwayne, as well as Kipp, it's critical that we hear your story, because you are the movement. You're the leaders of this movement, and as my sister said, this room should be full of young people. And as my brother that shared that we definitely would like to meet with you because we could share with you some of the things that you could do to make the next Tribunal a full house. It is critical, this is really not even about you today. It's about your babies--that baby that you can't hold? If you fail to stand up today, to represent that baby, or these children. Think about the kind of life they will have. If you have shared your experience with us, and know what's goin' on, and fail to stand up and speak on their behalf, think about what kind of life they will have. (Audience: “We love you, Uncle Bobby!”) That's critical. (“We love you Uncle, Bobby! Tell Alisha I said hello.”) OK.”
Alicia Kirkman--“My name is Alicia Kirkman. My son was Angelo Miller. He got killed 8 years ago. It's hard for me to like do this. You know it's been like 8 years, but it seem like the longer it is, the worse it's gettin'. He was 17 years old. He was out doin' things that some kids do. You know, we all have not did right growin' up. You know, so, he broke in a car. So, him and his friends got away, so Angelo comes back home. He gets his car, thinkin', you know, he could go get the radio he stole out the car. But it didn't happen like that. When he was pullin' up, it was a off-duty police officer. I really don't know how this went, because I wasn't there. But what I do know is when they told me that my son tried to run the police officer over, every mother knows they child, the good and the bad. I knew my son didn't try to run a police officer over. So, the guy on one tape came and you heard the one officer sayin', (breaking down crying), you heard the officer sayin', ‘Put your hands up; put your hands up’. You heard my baby sayin', ‘My hands are up; I swear to God I don't have nothin', ain't doin' nothin'’ All of a sudden the phone went dead. (Audience: Groans) My son's car was shot up 8 times. It don't take a rocket scientist, to figure out, if my son was tryin' to, run him over, why wasn't the front windshield shot out? Why wasn't the back windshield shot out? All the shots came from the side of the car. A bullet went in, you know, ricocheted, hit my son in the back. (Groans from the audience) And, you know, I had a lawyer; a lawyer came for me; it's not about no money. What's goin' happen to this police officer? (Audience: "That's right.”) You know the 911 tape is lettin' you know my son said, ‘my hands are up, I swear I ain't doin' nothin', don't got nothin'.’ But it's just a mystery. You hear your son sayin' his hands are up, but how did the car still move. You know if your child said, ‘My hands are up.’ the car gotta be stopped, you know. But, as usual, with the City of Cleveland, what they do when they know they are wrong, they will settle. They will settle. Me, I don't want your money. You know, I want this police officer to be charged. (Panelist: "What's his name?") John Lundy. So, I wanted to take it to trial. Couldn't take it to trial, because I didn't have $20,000, to take it to trial. So, I end up settling for the simple fact that my child had 2 boys. So, when his boys get older, if they want to go to college, they will be able to go to college, because they have something. (His kids was only 1.) They have somethin' from their father. You know, but it get worse and it get worse, like, every time you're watchin' the news, you know ever since my son got killed, it seem like it's gettin' worse, and you know, it's like you can't heal because the pain when you see that, like when I saw that young man runnin' for his life, and he got...they shot 8 times. (Audience: "Yeah.") How can a parent ever heal? I mean somebody asked me something before, and I told them, it's like I put on..."