Church Group Remembers Yuvette Henderson, Calls For End to Police Militarization
An interfaith protest and vigil was held today in the parking lot of Emeryville's Home Depot in response to the building of a militarized police facility known as ‘Cop City’ in Atlanta Georgia and in memory of Yuvette Henderson, an African-American grandmother who was killed by Emeryville police with an assault rifle at the site in 2015. About 40 gathered for the peaceful event where speeches were given and candles were held.
 |
| Candles and petitions were handed out. |
The event included a vigil for Yuvette Henderson who was killed by EPD after she was accused of shoplifting at the Home Depot. According to forensic court testimony, Emeryville police officers followed the grandmother to a site just outside Emeryville’s border where they ordered her to drop a handgun she had. Despite the fact that Ms Henderson never pointed the gun at the officers, they first turned off their body worn cameras and then began firing. One of the shots shattered Ms Henderson’s right arm, sending the gun flying back about 6 feet behind her as she fell forward facing the police. The police fired the kill shot to the head with an AR-15 after she lifted her head, attempting to get up. After an investigation by EPD that cleared the police, Federal Magistrate Judge Donna Ryu ruled "Henderson did not pose an immediate threat to [the police officers] and because she was unarmed and wounded and because although she carried a gun, she had not previously fired or aimed at [the officers]." The case was eventually settled with a $210,000 payment to the Henderson family by the City of Emeryville.
The protest/vigil was led by the American Friends Service Committee, a community interface arm of the Quaker Church. The AFSC works with people of all faiths and backgrounds to challenge unjust systems and promote peace. “We oppose the continued militarization and expansion of a policing strategy that harms our communities, as well as the continued destruction of protected forests” the group’s website said of the Cop City proposal.
After delivery of the petitions, the group dispersed.
 |
| John Lindsay-Poland, a representative from AFSC, spoke in memory of Yuvette Henderson. |
If they had killed Yuvette Henderson after the Minneapolis police killed George Floyd there would have been a much bigger community reaction here. They got away with it because back then people weren't as sensitive to police shooting black people as they are now.
ReplyDeleteSincerest condolences to the family and friends of Yuvette Henderson. The EPD of 2015 isn't the same EPD of 2024, but it takes leadership and accountability to ensure we never go back to the way it was. She is a reminder that we can do better and be better to each other and with our public safety policies. Poverty is not a crime. A mental health crisis should never be treated as one either.
ReplyDeleteThis is a really sad story, I'm glad for the protest that brought awareness of the loss of Yuvette Henderson. Cop City sounds like another way to waste tax payer money on weapons and weaponizing. Also we now have a trillion dollar military budget and have to rationalize it with targets in the Middle East, Iraq - one trillion ( no weapons of mass distruction), Afganistan, eight trillion and 900,000 deaths according to a Brown University study, and now Yemen.
ReplyDeleteMr. Priforce, with all do respect, the Police Department of 2015 is the same Police Department of 2024. They were completely justified in that shooting. If you educated yourself on the FACTS of the case instead of the BS rhetoric being spewed in this article then you would not have insulted the EPD staff still working at EPD from 2015.
ReplyDeleteAnd what did you know about EPD in 2015 to make those remarks. Not much. And that’s a fact. Shame on you for disrespecting those sworn to protect your city.
Mr Anonymous-
DeleteWith all DUE respect (which isn’t much to a guy who hides as an anonymous), The actual facts of this case were stated by Federal Magistrate Judge Ryu. Now will you please show us what we stated that is “BS”? You made your charge that the story is wrong and Judge Ryu is wrong….now back it up. How specifically were the two officers justified in that killing? Remember to use the facts of the case. We’ll wait for your proof.
The Emeryville Police Department gets respect when they earn it. We already pay them half our budget. We hold them to account and we hope our City Council also holds them and the rest of the City employees to account. The minute police start getting a free pass is when the tyranny starts. We will ALWAYS keep them on a short leash here at the Tattler. They are here to do a job like everyone else in our government. And we expect professionalism out of them. Ironically, police bootlickers commonly think they’re helping the police but they do police departments a disservice. It’s better for police (and all government employees) to have an engaged citizenry around them, closely watching what they do with a critical eye.
To the extent that he’s doing it, I say good for Council member Priforce for holding the police to account. That’s more than I can say for the rest of the Council. A few tepid comments notwithstanding, Mr Priforce actually pays them too much deference in my opinion.
Council member Priforce has stated he doesn’t respond to anonymous commenters so he may not respond to yours. I have no such filter….If somebody makes a BS charge about the Tattler, I respond, anon or not.