Tanisha
Anderson death ruled homicide
Tanisha Anderson’s death on
Nov. 13 has been ruled a homicide, in an announcement released this morning by
the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner’s office.
Specifically, she died as a
result of being physically restrained by Cleveland Police officers while she
was in a prone position. The coroner ruled that associated factors were
Anderson’s heart condition and “Bipolar disorder with agitation.”
Family members had called
authorities seeking assistance as Anderson was reportedly “disturbing the
peace” on the day she died. The family apparently consented for police to take
her to St. Vincent Charity Medical Center for a mental health evaluation.
Family members and police tell
conflicting versions about what happened next, but Anderson got out of the
police cruiser she was held face-down on the pavement, handcuffed, and further
restrained by police until she stopped moving.
Anderson’s death has been a
focal point of community agitation in the wake of a 58-page US Justice
Department report that found many problems with the Cleveland Police
Department, including the fact that many officers are ill-prepared to deal with
city residents with mental illnesses, often
resulting in the use of cruel and excessive force against the mentally and medically ill.
No ruling has been made by
prosecutors in this matter, and the involved officers are on restricted duty.
Black bar association calls special meeting on DOJ report
Earlier this week, the Norman
S. Minor Bar Association announced a special meeting to address community
concerns over police misconduct, as detailed in the Department of Justice
report, and punctuated most vividly by the deaths of Anderson, twelve year old
Tamir Rice ten days later, and Timothy Russell and Malissa Williams in November
2012.
The meeting is an open forum to address the
DOJ’s conclusion that “there is reasonable cause to believe that Cleveland
police officers engage in a pattern or practice of unreasonable and in some
cases unnecessary force in violation of the Fourth Amendment of the
Constitution.”
The Justice Department has asked for
community input before it begins negotiations with the City of Cleveland to
enter an enforceable court decree.
NSMBA is the local professional association
of black lawyers. The meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, January 6 at 5:30 PM in
Courtoom 15-A of the Justice Center.
