FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 13, 2023

CONTACT

media@colorofchange.org 

COLOR OF CHANGE DEMANDS JUSTICE FOR KEENAN ANDERSON; LAPD OFFICERS MUST BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE 

Rashad Robinson, president of Color Of Change, issued the following statement following the  killing of Keenan Anderson: 

“Keenan Anderson — a father and 10th grade English teacher —  should be alive today.  Instead, Keenan was killed in the streets of Los Angeles by the LAPD while begging for help. This tragedy is a result of failed policies and a policing system designed not to work – 

one that relies on excessive force that all too often becomes deadly. The anguish and fear Keenan felt while saying that police were trying to ‘George Floyd’ him is haunting.

“Black communities deserve to feel safe and the system must be changed. Like countless other police officers who unjustly use aggressive, deadly force when interacting with Black people in communities, the officers involved in Anderson’s case disregarded his cries for help and instead, murdered him. This isn’t surprising. Last year, a record number of civilians were murdered at the hands of law enforcement. This is the third police killing by LAPD this year alone. When police officers use tasers they can be deadly, yet tasers continue to be funneled to police departments through donations to dubious police foundations. The investigations into these killings must be open and transparent, and the public kept informed.

“Black communities across the country are demanding an end to the police-only approach to public safety. It is too broken, too dangerous and has led to the holding back of our entire lives. As we work towards dismantling policing as it exists today, we call on LAPD to hold the officers involved accountable for their role in Anderson’s death. Until we see widespread reform to better hold law enforcement officers accountable for their negligence and responsibility for murdering innocent Black lives, the onus is on LAPD to take appropriate action.”  

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Color Of Change is the nation’s largest online racial justice organization. We help people respond effectively to injustice in the world around us. As a national online force driven by over 7 million members, we move decision-makers in corporations and governments to create a more human and less hostile world for Black people in America. Visit www.colorofchange.org