SCHENECTADY, N.Y. — “Justice for Andrew Kearse!” chanted 100 participants in a Feb. 10 march here, demanding arrest of the cop who ignored Kearse’s repeated pleas for medical help. Kearse, a 36-year-old man from the Bronx, died of a heart attack in the back of a cop car last May 11. Holding pictures of Kearse, handmade signs and battery-powered candles, protesters marched from the First United Methodist Church to the police headquarters.
Kearse’s wife, Angelique Negroni-Kearse, speaking above, told particpants she saw the police dashcam video last month. She watched her husband repeatedly say that he can’t breathe and plead for medical care. Protesters demanded public release of the video and arrest of the unidentified officer who refused Kearse’s requests for help.
Other speakers included Jamaica Miles, lead organizer for Citizen Action of New York Capital District, and Hawk Newsome from Black Lives Matter of Greater New York. Both groups helped organize the protest. A group of students from Union College came, including representatives from Campus Action and the Black Student Union. Accelerators, Democratic Socialists of America and the Socialist Workers Party also took part.
The State Police and the New York State Attorney General’s Office are currently investigating Kearse’s death. In November, Negroni-Kearse filed legal notice that she intends to sue the city for $25 million.