Police departments around the country have been retaliating against community activists who are doing work to hold police accountable for their actions. The message from police is clear: If you do anything to hold us accountable, we will ruin your life.
Two days after Mike Brown was killed by police in Ferguson, Missouri, Ezell Ford, was shot by two LAPD officers three times while lying on the ground. Eyewitness testimonies contradicted police reports saying Ford tackled one of the officers, and reached for his gun so Ford’s South Los Angeles community took to the streets to protest.
One of the most visible and vocal protesters was DaMonte Shipp, known publicly as Ceebo Tha Rapper. Ceebo, lead many community demonstrations where protesters confronted LAPD, shaming and taunting them. In one demonstration the protesters knelt with their hands on their heads with their backs turned to the police and started to taunt the police to shoot them so that they too could go on paid administrative leave like the officers that shot Ezell Ford.