Body Cam Shows Extended Taser Use On Keenan Anderson
Keenan Anderson, a cousin of Black Lives Matter co-founder Patrisse Cullors, died hours after Los Angeles police repeatedly used a taser on him and pinned him in the middle of the street following a mixed-up traffic incident on September 3. last January, according to body camera footage released by authorities last Wednesday.
Video from the episode in Venice, California shows Keenan Anderson being pulled over by multiple officers after a traffic collision. Body camera footage shows an officer appearing to have his elbow on Anderson’s neck as he is pulled over in the middle of the road.
“They’re trying to make me George Floyd!” he exclaimed, according to the video, referring to the Minneapolis man who was killed by then-police officer Derek Chauvin in May 2020. “They’re trying to make me George Floyd!”
An officer is then shown using his Taser on Anderson twice, including one stretch that lasted for about 30 uninterrupted seconds.
As The Washington Post details, after Anderson was finally handcuffed and taken into custody, he was taken by ambulance to a Santa Monica hospital. There he was pronounced dead after suffering cardiac arrest, according to a police news release.
The Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office is still investigating Anderson’s death and has yet to rule on its cause and manner.
“Full investigations are underway, and I promise that the City’s investigations into these deaths will be transparent and reflect Los Angeles values,” Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bassen, a Democrat, said in a press release. “I will make sure that the City’s investigations lead only to truth and accountability.”
The police report details that at around 3:38 pm on January 3, police were alerted to a traffic accident at the intersection of Venice Boulevard and Lincoln Boulevard. An officer on a motorcycle saw Anderson running down the street and noted that he was “displaying erratic behavior.” After multiple motorists pointed out to police that Anderson may have caused the accident, the officer on the motorcycle proceeded to give chase until they were both able to stop and talk. The police department later said Anderson had tried to steal someone’s car and then caused an accident, KNBC reported.
“Someone is trying to kill me,” Anderson said, according to the video. He did not specify who he was referring to. Anderson later said that he had lost his car key before repeating the claim that someone was trying to kill him.
Seven minutes later, Anderson tried to flee, the video shows. The agent quickly catches up with him and demands that he lie face down in the middle of the road. But when Anderson doesn’t comply, the man yells, “Please help me,” as several officers pounce on him, pinning him to the ground.
“Stop or I’m going to electrocute you,” an agent tells him. Another officer is seen with his elbow to Anderson’s throat as he threatens him with a taser if he doesn’t lie on his stomach. An officer then uses a Taser on Anderson for nearly 30 consecutive seconds, all while the man is screaming desperately.
After the maneuvers, Anderson remained handcuffed in the middle of the road until an ambulance finally arrived and took him to the hospital.
According to police, about four and a half hours after the use of force, Anderson “suffered a medical emergency, did not respond to life-saving efforts by medical personnel, and was pronounced deceased.”
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