Groups demand justice for shot Ghanaian student in US
Students and community groups are calling for justice for Kofi Adu-Brempong, the graduate student and teaching assistant who was shot in the face by police in Florida March 2, 2010.
35-year-old Adu-Brempong is studying for a PhD degree at the University of Florida in the US.
In a press release by the Coalition for Justice Against Police Brutality copied to ghanabusinessnews.com, the groups are calling for an “independent investigation into the shooting of an unarmed and disabled graduate student at UF.”
The coalition is made up of the following groups: SDS, NAACP, SLAP, Alachua Democratic Black Caucus, and hundreds of concerned students.
Reports say Adu-Brempong was mentally distressed and the police were called in response to noise coming from his apartment at Corey Village on-campus. The shooting was said to have occurred less than a minute after the police entered the apartment.
The group indicated that Adu-Brempong has said in an interview with the Gainesville Sun after the incident that the police began firing a high-powered assault weapon at him without ordering him to stand down or making an arrest.
“They should have told me to put up my hands,” he said. Student and community groups are calling for an independent investigation of the entire incident because of the conflicting accounts of the night given by Adu-Brempong and UPD, the release added.
According to the release, when evidence emerged that the shooter was University Police Department Officer Keith Smith—who had previously been implicated in throwing eggs at African-Americans while off-duty—student groups began organizing for a rally to demand justice.
The rally will take place Tuesday April 6, 2010 at the Turlington Square on Newell Dr, Gainesville, FL, 32601 at 4:00pm.
By Emmanuel K. Dogbevi
Thanks a lot for highlighting this case. As Fernando Figueroa, of Gainesville SDS noted: “We will not let up until we gain justice for Kofi. We are taking a stand against police brutality and racism on our campus and throughout the country.” Figueroa continued, “It is astounding to see so few reporters covering the point blank shooting of an African man in the face here. This is the same campus where you could not walk ten feet without bumping into a reporter or TV crew following a white student’s famous ‘Don’t tase me bro!’ incident.”
We should cry our own cry ans shout our own shout.
I am sure you are aware of tomorrows demonstration also. I just got this message from Figueroa concerning a meeting tonite and preparations for the demo tommorrow. I hope you give it some coverage too.
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Fernando Figueroa April 19 at 11:33pm Reply
Hey everybody,
We will have our last planning meeting before tomorrow’s rally tonight (Monday April 19th), at 7:00 PM in Anderson 32. Come on by and help get justice for Kofi!
Also, there will be a rally tomorrow for Kofi at 3:30 pm in the Plaza of the Americas at the University of Florida campus. Come help fight back against police brutality and seek Justice for Kofi!
See you all there,
Fern
Coalition for Justice Against Police Brutality Member –
Gainesville Area Students for a Democratic Society
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Let us see what tomorrow may bring to this struggle.
Cheers!
Forward Ever! Backwards Never!!!
–
Nana Akyea Mensah, The Odikro.
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