The New Year is supposed to bring renewal and hope. But for five New York City families, 2003 is already a year of unspeakable sorrow and devastation. This is because in just the first four days of 2003, the NYPD has taken the lives of five people. In what even mainstream news media have dubbed a "New Year’s Carnage," we have five more stolen lives to add to the over 2000 cases of those killed by law enforcement since 1990, as documented in the Stolen Lives Project*: Jamel Nixon - 19, was shot at five times and killed by two bullets in the back by NYPD in Brownsville, Brooklyn on New Year's Day. The initial police report was that Jamel was shot in the chest after he had "fired at officers." Later it was claimed he "pointed a pistol at police after firing it into the air just after midnight." On January 3rd, the medical examiner reported that both shots that hit Jamel were in his back. Jamel was pronounced dead at Brookdale University Hospital and Medical Center. Anthony Reid - 21, was shot at 18 times while being chased by NYPD in Brownsville, Brooklyn on New Year's Day. Police reports claimed that Anthony "exchanged gunfire with officers" outside a sports bar after he got into a "shootout" with other bar patrons. They also claimed he was shot in the chest, but the medical examiner later revealed that he was killed by two shots in his back. Police Commissioner Kelly suggested that the fatal shots may have hit both Anthony and Jamel in the back because they were "twisting and turning while being shot." Anthony died at the scene. Allen Newsome - 17, was killed by a bullet in the chest in Hamilton Heights, Manhattan on January 2, 2003. On a "robbery sting," two detectives dressed as deliverymen followed Allen into his grandmother’s building, and according to police reports one shot Allen when Allen held a pellet gun to the head of the other. According to family members, Allen’s uncle and two other men who were on the ground floor when the shooting occurred on the third floor ran out of the building and were arrested on the spot, assumed to be "in on the robbery." While the two undercover detectives were rushed to the hospital for trauma, Allen lay handcuffed in the stairwell for 45 minutes before he was taken to an ambulance. EMS was overheard saying, "How do they expect us to work on him with the handcuffs on?" Allen’s mother, a nurse, was not permitted to ride in the ambulance with her son, and by the time she got to Harlem University Hospital, Allen was already pronounced dead. John Lagattuta - 35, was shot and killed by NYPD in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn on January 2, 2003. At first police said that NYPD chased the van that John had allegedly stolen and that the van had crashed and a struggle ensued. Later reports claimed that the stolen van was stalled in traffic and that John rammed the vehicles in front and behind him as he was "surrounded" by seven cops. Police suggest that the officer who pulled the trigger may have "inadvertently [fired] his pistol as he tried to break the van's window." Because John was unarmed, police have not rushed to justify the shooting, but were quick to publicize his arrest record, as seems to be the usual procedure in demonizing the victim of a police killing, in effect of killing the person for a second time. Lucia Rodriguez - 63, was hit by an unmarked NYPD car and killed in Bushwick, Brooklyn on January 4, 2003, on her way back home from church. The police car was allegedly responding to an emergency when it plowed into Lucia. Lucia was pronounced dead at Woodhull Hospital. Explanations for these deaths have been offered by the mayor, the police commissioner, and various "experts" on the police. The mayor has said that they are great tragedies, but that the police who caused them were doing their jobs. The media has been quick to quote "experts" that this wave of police killings kicking off 2003 is just a coincidence. And they have assured us that the NYPD has changed its policies since the "tragic killing of Amadou Diallo," so we don't have to worry about police murdering innocent people anymore. We in the October 22nd Coalition to Stop Police Brutality, Repression and the Criminalization of a Generation have heard this talk from city officials, police spokespeople and so-called experts before. We remember that they told us that the cops who shot Amadou Diallo mistook his wallet for a gun! We remember that so many who have been killed by police were depicted as being in the process of committing a crime when they were killed. In Allen Newsome’s killing, the media and some legislative forces pulled some misdirection by focusing not on the deadly force of the NYPD, but on banning toy guns. This is reminiscent of the diversionary focus engaged by some media and politicians in the shooting death of 13-year-old Nicholas Heyward, Jr. by a Housing cop in the Gowanus Projects back in 1994. We in the October 22nd Coalition say building a movement to stop these outrages must continue and grow. We call on everyone outraged by this situation to help build this movement for justice. "Police Brutality Didn't Die on September 11th!" This is a statement the October 22nd Coalition made in the wake of the tragic deaths at the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. This wave of police killings only underscores the truth of that statement, particularly since at least 43 people in the New York and New Jersey area have been killed by law enforcement since that horrific day. Since our founding in 1996, the October 22nd Coalition has said that the people face a nationwide epidemic of police brutality. We can't rely on the authorities to deal with the cold reality of cops who brutalize and murder. In virtually every case, the powers-that-be and the media has attempted to "explain" away these outrages police have committed against the people they have sworn to protect and serve. In their minds, all our loved ones who have been brutalized and even murdered by cops were "criminals who got what they deserved." The people in Harlem who demonstrated right after the police gunned down Allen Newsome were calling out the real deal–the "Dirty 30" precinct is still dirty, and the police patrol too many of our communities like an occupying army. STOP POLICE BRUTALITY, REPRESSION AND THE CRIMINALIZATION OF A GENERATION! NO MORE STOLEN LIVES! * A joint project of the October 22 Coalition, the National Lawyers Guild and the Anthony Baez Foundation, the Stolen Lives Project has accumulated the names and stories of thousands of lives stolen by law enforcement. It is both a living memorial and indictment of the epidemic of police brutality and murder in this country. The project has produced two editions of the book, Stolen Lives, Killed by Law Enforcement, which has documented over 2,000 names and stories of those killed by law enforcement in the 1990's. The third edition is under works now, and most likely will have double the number of cases. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ UPCOMING COMMEMORATIONS FOR STOLEN LIVES: - Jan 13: Memorial for Frankie Arzuaga, 6:00pm at 134 Boreum Street bet. Graham & Manhattan Avenue, BROOKLYN (917-497-2085) - Jan 16: Candlelight Vigil & Speakout for Georgy Louisgene, 4:00pm in front of 3501 Foster Avenue bet. New York & Brooklyn Avenue, BROOKLYN (718-284-2255) - Jan 22: Commemoration for Anibal "Junior" Carrasquillo, 5:30pm at 410 Westminster Road bet. Coretelyou & Dorchester Road, BROOKLYN (917-554-6318) - Please join the NY Local Coordinating Committee of October 22 Coalition and Families Seeking Justice in memorializing those killed by law enforcement at the Stolen Lives Induction Ceremony Date in February 2003 TBD, at 5:00pm at the House of the Lord Church 415 Atlantic Avenue, between Bond & Nevins Streets F train to Bergen, A/C/G to Hoyt/Schermerhorn, or 2/3/4/5 to Nevins