Police claim that Lee, a young African American, choked trying to swallow a bag of drugs when cops approached his car. They say all they did was hit him on the back to get him breathing again. Lee’s aunt and cousin, Barbara Flowers and Sylvester, circulated photos of Lee after his death showing a badly beaten face.

Relatives of other victims of cop violence in New Jersey addressed the meeting. They included Elizabeth Moore, whose son Rasheed was killed by the East Orange police in January 2005; Mary Weaver, whose son Randy was shot by police in July 1999; and Earl Williams, father of Earl Faison, who died in April 1999 while in police custody in Orange. After a long fight, three of the officers who killed Faison were convicted and jailed.

“The police will try to justify killing your loved ones,” Earl Williams warned. “They’ll try to make it seem like they are the victims and your loved one is the culprit.”

“The penalty for selling drugs or using drugs is not death,” Hamm said. “It’s only death in the Black and Latino communities.” Lee’s family and the POP have called a December 15 march against police brutality here.
 
 
Related articles:
N.Y. protesters demand justice in brutal killing by the police
Asian Americans attacked by Boston-area cops win support
Murder indictment dropped against N. Carolina cop who shot unarmed teenager in house raid  
 
 
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