Justice for Rash - police kill a twenty year old black man in Hackney

Police chased Rash into a shop, then held him on the floor for several minutes. He stopped breathing and died.

Submitted by Mike Harman on July 23, 2017

Yesterday on Kingsland Road in Hackney, police chased a twenty year old black man, Rash, into a shop, then held him on the floor until he stopped breathing and died.

It's just one month since the death of Edir Frederico Da Costa (Edson) in Newham who sustained multiple injuries during arrest, went into an induced coma and died days later in hospital.

People are calling for justice on the #JusticeForRash hashtag on twitter.

The image for this article is a still taken from a video posted by @_coinz

With parallels to the #JusticeForEdson case, police have already issued a press statement claiming that Rash choked on bags he had swallowed.

Police have been found to lie about deaths in custody on several occasions, for example when City of London Police withheld statements by three police officers from the coroner, press and family that Ian Tomlinson had been hit in the back by a police officer and pushed to the ground in 2009.

Immediately following the shooting of Mark Duggan in 2011 it was reported by the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) that he had shot at police officers during the incident, this was subsequently withdrawn.

After the shooting of Jean Charles de Menezes in 2005 police briefed that he had been running and jumped a station barrier, again this was disproven within a month of the reports.

[strong]CONTENT NOTE: video of police brutality[/strong]

Comments

Nymphalis Antiopa

6 years 8 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Nymphalis Antiopa on July 23, 2017

Horrible, obviously.

City of London Police withheld statements by three police officers from the coroner, press and family that Ian Tomlinson had been hit in the back by a police officer and pushed to the ground in 2011.

[OP said "2011" - MH has now changed it]
In fact , he was killed in 2009. I thought this had an interesting take on the events surrounding the cop murder of Ian Tomlinson:

http://jdarchive.files.wordpress.com/2012/05/chaos_theory_bw.pdf

Cambs42

6 years 8 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Cambs42 on July 23, 2017

Stop peddling lies or inaccurate statements until an inquest has taken place - you are merely whipping up anti police feeling by posting inaccurate politically motivated statements - don't suppose you would retract once facts come to light?

Fleur

6 years 8 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Fleur on July 23, 2017

Cambs
I think you might have wandered into the wrong place. Anti-police feelings is what we do.

DevastateTheAvenues

6 years 8 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by DevastateTheAvenues on July 23, 2017

Anti-police feeling? Here? It's unthinkable.

Cambs42

6 years 8 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Cambs42 on July 23, 2017

If police have done wrong prosecute - why hashtag justice for... when there is no confirmation of cause of death - I suppose an open totally reformed open police force would deem you irrelevant?

Fleur

6 years 8 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Fleur on July 23, 2017

Nothing better to do on a Sunday, officer?

Cambs42

6 years 8 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Cambs42 on July 23, 2017

Barking up the completely wrong tree Fleur! This is the problem people who are the general public just get sick of the " everyone's against us" lobby - let me guess by any chance are you a member of Socialist Worker?

Fleur

6 years 8 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Fleur on July 23, 2017

Socialist Worker? Lol. You've definitely come to the wrong place. Maybe you should look at the content of this site before you start proselytizing.

Cambs42

6 years 8 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Cambs42 on July 23, 2017

Not trying to convert anyone - just trying to understand why anyone would try and stoke up further anti-police feeling by using such inflammatory words like murder when no one knows the truth yet!

DevastateTheAvenues

6 years 8 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by DevastateTheAvenues on July 23, 2017

Cambs42 is clearly already familiar the well-known Leninist underbelly of this site. But this poses a problem: how can we be spreading anti-police feelings when we are pro-Cheka?

Cambs42

6 years 8 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Cambs42 on July 23, 2017

A conundrum you will have to work out in your own time DTA :-)

Alf

6 years 8 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Alf on July 23, 2017

Statement by Chief Superintendent Simon Laurence, borough commander for Hackney:

]: "In the early hours of Saturday officers attempted to stop a car on Kingsland Road, E8.

"A man, who was in the car, was pursued on foot before entering a shop where he was seen to be trying to swallow an object. He was then taken ill.

"He was taken to hospital by the London Ambulance Service where, sadly, he died later that morning. Our thoughts remain with his family and friends.

"The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) has launched an independent investigation to establish what happened and has viewed the officers' body worn video.

"There is likely to be speculation over the next few days regarding what led to this man becoming ill, so I would encourage people to keep up-to-date with the IPCC's statements, as and when they are released.

"All police officers are fully aware that they will be asked to account for their actions - officers are not exempt from the law and we would not wish to be."[/i]https://uk.yahoo.com/news/man-dies-trying-swallow-object-during-police-chase-081700701.html

Not one word about Rashan being held down on the floor - first by one then by two policemen - until he stopped moving

Fleur

6 years 8 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Fleur on July 23, 2017

All joking aside, haven't you seen the video? 2+minutes, premium shot of a pig dragging that young man to the back of the shop, dropping him to the floor and choking him to death. What kind of witless idiot can look at that and not recognize murder when they see it in glorious technicolour? You want to wait for the murderous cunts to whitewash evidence, perform a character assassination on the young man who had the life choked out of him by a cop, then go ahead. Your touching faith in the criminal justice system is sweet and naive and completely the sort of delusional bullshit that I can't be bothered wasting my precious time arguing about.

And who's going to reform the Met? Cressida Dick? She's got the blood of Jean Charles de Menezes on her hands. Killing civilians have never got in the way of a police career.

Cambs42

6 years 8 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Cambs42 on July 24, 2017

admin: personal abuse removed. This is a warning

, let's not get personal now, grainy poor quality video that is inconclusive - the cop is restraining him yes but choking him you cannot see that for certain!
Let's see what the police cams give, oh I forgot conspiracy theory will prove a cover up.
Referring back to July 2005 come on, poor intelligence, police/security services under pressure of 7/7 failings recipe for a fuck up, which is exactly what happened, question is would you want that kind of responsibility on your shoulders or criticise those who hold it from a position of safety?

adri

6 years 8 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by adri on July 25, 2017

Cambs42

Stop peddling lies or inaccurate statements until an inquest has taken place - you are merely whipping up anti police feeling by posting inaccurate politically motivated statements - don't suppose you would retract once facts come to light?

This is a libertarian communist website... The majority of us are "politically motivated" against private property's protective forces. Try considering the millions of people who suffer or die because they can't get access to the essentials of life.

Thunaraz

6 years 8 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Thunaraz on July 25, 2017

even if the police hadnt choked the guy to death, if they noticed he swallowed something, shouldn't they have made that their immediate question to him? "what did you swallow?" and if they saw him choking on what he swallowed shouldn't they have taken him to the hospital straight away? if they thought for some reason he may have had drugs and swallowed an entire bag of them, considering thats most likely what they assumed he had, (meaning, it contains multiple purchasable units) then shouldn't they have rushed him to the hospital, knowing he could overdose and die?

Thunaraz

6 years 8 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Thunaraz on July 25, 2017

to be clear, I am unable to view the video.

RadBlackLove

6 years 8 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by RadBlackLove on July 25, 2017

Libertarian communist means

admin: abuse removed. Please be polite, even to people you disagree with

without even a basic understanding of the police, who have invaded every aspect of people's liberty since their inception.

Cambs42

6 years 8 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Cambs42 on July 26, 2017

All the points you raise are valid but if you see the video there is no commentary so we have no idea what was said. There is a struggle but we do not what the timings were after the video finishes which I agree should be made public ASAP.

Cambs42

6 years 8 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Cambs42 on July 26, 2017

So are you saying that without the police force, government and paid labour the suffering of people would be less? I am honestly intrigued into understanding someone who is dialectically opposed.

adri

6 years 8 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by adri on July 26, 2017

Cambs42

So are you saying that without the police force, government and paid labour the suffering of people would be less? I am honestly intrigued into understanding someone who is dialectically opposed.

I don't know if you're genuinely interested in the politics of this site or just clicked the third google result for "JusticeForRash" thinking you'd come put a bunch of "unruly SJW snowflakes (or something to that effect)" in their place. I think everyone here means to overthrow capital and replace it with an arrangement where the needs of people supplants the profit pursuits of private capitalist enterprises. Capital has always used the state to defend its interests against those of the working class; illustrations of this can be found in the various laws passed preventing workers from organizing and improving their conditions (Combination Laws, etc.) You could trace a multitude of problems (from poverty, mental health, etc.) to this economic arrangement where people are forced to rent themselves to those who are in possession of the means of production to survive. Crimes of an economic nature ("stealing" and so on) would vanish if people could simply take what they need. It would simplify things tremendously if workers everywhere could just take over their workplaces and begin producing for need, but that's prevented by the bourgeois state at capital's defense and the low levels of class consciousness.

Serge Forward

6 years 8 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Serge Forward on July 29, 2017

Cambs42 you seem to be starting from the basic assumption that the police tend to act honorably and are basically altruistic. Now while there may well be some nice well-meaning coppers around who want to help and protect people in the community, this isn't generally their role and nor is it the norm. The actual role of the cops is something far more sinister and all the "protect and serve" stuff is just an occasional by-product as well as a bit of positive marketing.

All that aside, I've just been told that Rashan was one of my youngest son's friends from when he lived with his mam on the Holly Street estate in Hackney a few years back - which really brings this horrific act home.

Serge Forward

6 years 8 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Serge Forward on July 29, 2017

.

.

Cambs42

6 years 8 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Cambs42 on July 29, 2017

I don't know if you're genuinely interested in the politics of this site or just clicked the third google result for "JusticeForRash" thinking you'd come put a bunch of "unruly SJW snowflakes (or something to that effect)" in their place. I think everyone here means to overthrow capital and replace it with an arrangement where the needs of people supplants the profit pursuits of private capitalist enterprises. Capital has always used the state to defend its interests against those of the working class; illustrations of this can be found in the various laws passed preventing workers from organizing and improving their conditions (Combination Laws, etc.) You could trace a multitude of problems (from poverty, mental health, etc.) to this economic arrangement where people are forced to rent themselves to those who are in possession of the means of production to survive. Crimes of an economic nature ("stealing" and so on) would vanish if people could simply take what they need. It would simplify things tremendously if workers everywhere could just take over their workplaces and begin producing for need, but that's prevented by the bourgeois state at capital's defense and the low levels of class consciousness.

You are correct I came to the site via third result situation, I have never tried to put anyone in their place, just pointed out that irresponsible headlines do not help a horrid situation get any better.

Like I said before I know I don't hold the views of any of the likely contributors to the site but surely everyone is better off in life just to listen to opposing points of view even if they vehemently disagree with them? Isn't that social democracy in practice?

adri

6 years 8 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by adri on July 30, 2017

Cambs42

You are correct I came to the site via third result situation, I have never tried to put anyone in their place, just pointed out that irresponsible headlines do not help a horrid situation get any better.

Like I said before I know I don't hold the views of any of the likely contributors to the site but surely everyone is better off in life just to listen to opposing points of view even if they vehemently disagree with them? Isn't that social democracy in practice?

Even giving the police the benefit of the doubt, their broader defense of the status quo is an obstacle to any real progress I'm interested in, not to mention the police of every country have poor records in acting lawfully and habitually distort the facts to protect themselves, which I wouldn't be surprised if that is the case here. Incidents like these and crime in general have an economic basis, and that's what I'm more interested in, to not have police harassing others to begin with.

It would be irresponsible to do nothing. If there is no response, then they have no reason to change anything. That is the way governments work and how concessions are won.

Khawaga

6 years 8 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Khawaga on July 30, 2017

FYI, we're not even remotely close in being social democrats. And debate is fine, but you're coming up with arguments that most of us have considered and rejected a long time ago.

RadBlackLove

6 years 8 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by RadBlackLove on July 30, 2017

my anti-cop rhetoric just got censored on libcom??? well that just feels ridiculous,....

anyways back on topic the police have such bureaucratic investigative processes that blindly believing what they say isn't even reasonable. In the US police unions fight to keep their officers WELL protected during officer-involved shooting investigations. They fight for the ability to control the narrative, even fighting to keep from releasing statements and they fight against federal Department of Justice intervention. They are well very well organized. That level of organization means that working alongside the State gives them organized media responses, too. In Minnesota a Cop Watch org puts out a booklet called "Stolen Lives" and it collects and details stories of as many officer-involved killings they can find, and most of them aren't even remotely picked up by mainstream media. This amount of power should most definitely concern any anti-authoritarian or libertarian communist