Now that a second autopsy has found that a Florida teen was suffocated by guards at a juvenile boot camp, black leaders are encouraging people around the country to stay engaged and use their outrage to ensure that no other lives are lost for such senseless reasons.
Rev. Al Sharpton recently interviewed the parents of 14-year-old Martin Lee Anderson, who died on January 6 after being beaten by six guards at the Bay County Sheriff’s Office Boot Camp in Panama City, Fla. Sharpton, who heads the National Action Network, said his organization will push for people to support Gina Jones and Robert Anderson as they seek justice in the death of their son, who died of suffocation due to guards blocking his mouth and the “forced inhalation of ammonia fumes.”
An official report from the boot camp said Anderson collapsed while doing push-ups, sit-ups, running laps and other exercises that were a part of the admission process. The sheriff’s office said force was used only after Anderson became uncooperative. An initial autopsy, conducted by Dr. Charles Siebert said Anderson died of complications from a sickle cell trait. However the second autopsy, conducted by Dr. Vernard Adams, cited suffocation as the cause of death.
“We should all continue to monitor this case. I know the National Action Network willm and we will be prepared to continue supporting by leading marches and attending court hearings,” Sharpton told BlackAmericaWeb.com, adding that failure to do so could be costly.
“Our next struggle will be to see whether a federal jury will be picked, so they’re not giving this a Simi Valley jury like in the first Rodney King trial,” Sharpton said, referring to the jury that consisted of ten whites that acquitted the white officers of beating King.
Such a maneuver will not happen because local activists won’t stand for it, said Beverly Neal, executive director of the Florida State Conference of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. Groups like the NAACP, Neal said, have been involved in this case since the beginning, writing letters to everyone from Gov. Jeb Bush on down. But despite the fact that a child was essentially murdered in a facility where he was supposed to be set straight, Neal said some people have been less determined to seek justice.
“You would have thought that more people would be up in arms, but that’s not the case for many outside of Panama City,” Neal told BlackAmericaWeb.com. “We’ve had to nudge some people to get involved in this.”
Neal commends those who’ve spent the last five months protesting and petitioning for action. She said the sit-ins by Florida college students, as well as the national attention brought on in part by Sharpton and Rev. Jesse Jackson’s involvement have gone a long way in informing people on what needs to be done.
“Everything that has been done has helped,” Neal said, adding that plans are in the works for a June 3 demonstration in Panama City. This is just the beginning, Neal said, adding that such actions are not being done only in response to Anderson’s tragic death.
“(Martin Anderson) was just the tip of the iceberg. This abuse has been going on and on for years, and had Martin’s abuse not been videotaped, we would never have been able to prove that this abuse happens,” Neal said.
Sharpton agreed.
“When it first happened, there was some surface exposure, but then we started agitating, started marching and got more attention,” he said. “That’s one of the reasons you march.
“Had there not been the marches of people like students and Rev. Jackson, this story would have been totally off the radar,” Sharpton continued. “And if it’s not on the radar, no one would know about the injustices going on.”
No arrests have been made in connection with Anderson's death, and Gov. Bush has publicly stated that he is unsure if suspending Siebert will be possible. However, Attorney General Charlie Crist told the Associated Press that Siebert could be suspended pending further review and the arrests of the guards seen beating Anderson is probable.
Neal said the state lawmakers should know that she and others are watching closely.
“As taxpayers, we need to have more say so in how our tax dollars are being spent,” Neal said. “When these kids go into custody, they are wards of the state, and these programs are funded by our tax dollars. The safety of children is a problem not just in boot camps, but throughout the entire juvenile justice system. And that’s what we’re looking at.”
As with many complaints about the justice system, Sharpton said Anderson’s situation could be par for the course for so many other young people of color.
“These ordeals affect a higher percentage of people of color, and that’s enough for people to pay attention to this case and be prepared to come to Florida if there is a trial,” Sharpton said. “People need to be active and understand that if you stop with case, you stop it before it gets to you. If we wait before it gets to your step, we might not have people or the time available to respond.”
http://www.blackamericaweb.com/site.aspx/bawnews/florida510
FDLE Boot Camp footage
Press release from State Attorney Mark A. Ober
Statement from Gov. Jeb Bush
The Martin Lee Anderson Family discusses the result of a 2nd autopsy
Florida News 