Los Angeles BLM Co-Founder: US Moving Toward Police State Amid 3 Officer-Involved Deaths
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WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – The United States is moving toward a police state in which law enforcement agencies consume more public resources, Black Lives Matter Los Angeles co-founder Melina Abdullah told Sputnik following three officer-involved deaths in the city this year. In the January 2-3 period, three men were killed in incidents involving Los Angeles Police Department officers: Takar Smith, Oscar Sanchez and Keenan Anderson. Police shot and killed Smith while responding to a restraining order violation complaint from his estranged wife. Officer body camera footage shows officers tasing and later shooting Smith after he grabbed a knife. Police shot and killed Sanchez while responding to reports of a man throwing objects at passing cars. Footage from officer cameras shows police following Sanchez into a residence, armed with guns and a riot shield. Although the footage does not show Sanchez at the moment of the shooting, officers are heard shouting “put that down” before firing at him. 
Opinion & AnalysisRoboCops: Is Use of Deadly Robots by San Francisco Police Justified?30 November 2022, 17:34 GMTAnderson died from cardiac arrest at a hospital approximately four hours after being tased by police. Anderson was apprehended after he waved down an officer to assist in a car crash, in which he was allegedly involved. Anderson was tased for non-compliance after he appeared to flee from the scene. “We have to remove police from where they obviously don’t belong,” Abdullah said. “Police are advocating for an expansionist view. They’re really trying to gobble up more and more resources. They’re moving toward a police state.” Abdullah describes herself as an “abolitionist” and said she believes the policing system is irredeemable. Abdullah questioned why police needed to respond to the situations involving Smith and Sanchez, characterizing them as “mental health calls.” Author, police expert and human rights advocate Cheryl Dorsey told Sputnik that she takes issue with the number of times officers tased Anderson, who is a cousin of BLM co-founder Patrisse Cullors. There were several officers present who could have subdued Anderson, Dorsey said. However, Dorsey acknowledged that officers sometimes have to use deadly force. Training is an issue with police, but more training is not enough, she added. The Black Lives Matter movement, sparked by altercations between police officers and black Americans, had led to a number of protests and riots in cities around the United States and worldwide.
