Philadelphians march against police brutality

Twenty-two-year-old Tyree Carroll was stopped April 3 by Philadelphia police for riding his bicycle the wrong way on a one-way street. The stop escalated into a violent beating of the unarmed Black man by up to 24 cops, who charged him with assault and drug-related charges. A bystander released a videotape of the incident July 8, which has been widely viewed. (youtu.be/i6tSl-Ff8Qs)

Family and friends have formed the Justice for Tyree Campaign, which has put together 14 demands, including the resignation of Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey, the immediate firing of all officers involved in the incident, and that Carroll be released from jail, where he is still being held.

About 100 community members marched July 18 demanding, “Not one more police beating of our children!”

Police brutality has a long history in this city. A recent U.S. Department of Justice report revealed nearly 400 deadly force incidents between 2007 and 2013, disproportionately against Black civilians. Police dropped a bomb on a home to oust a political group named MOVE in 1985, killing 11 men, women and children and burning down the whole neighborhood. Political prisoner Mumia Abu-Jamal was falsely convicted of the murder of a police officer and still languishes in prison 34 years later. And relatives are still demanding justice for Brandon Tate-Brown, killed by Philly cops last Dec. 16 during a traffic stop.