The charitable arm of Jay-Z’s Roc Nation, Team ROC, has offered legal support to the family.
Police using excessive force, against unarmed Black people is nothing new. Unfortunately, it’s happened again, this time in Phoenix.
According to reports, Phoenix police pulled over Dravon Ames, 22, and his pregnant fiancée, 24-year-old Aisha Harper on May 29th. The couple alleges that guns were drawn on them and their daughter, who was in the car, and threats were made against all of them because the young girl took a doll from a store. It was all caught on video.
The Phoenix Police Department is investigating after an officer was caught on cell phone video sweeping a man's leg after handcuffing him, while another officer pointed a gun at a pregnant mother and her two daughters. https://t.co/Xpq1pIloNc pic.twitter.com/1NWOULXdFW
— ABC News (@ABC) June 12, 2019
“I’m going to put a cap in your a–,” said one officer to Ames. “I’m going to shoot you in your f—ing face.” This as a second officer approached the car, also with his weapon drawn.
After the video went viral, the Phoenix police department issued their own statement, saying that the couple were combative and refused to listen to their orders, citing Harper’s inaction when demanding to put her hands up. But in the video, Harper can clearly be heard saying she has children with her and couldn’t get raise her hands.
The media has been poking holes in the police’s account of the story, also pointing out while Phoenix officers are required to wear body cameras, those officers did not have theirs on.
The @phoenixpolice officers who brutalized that black family also lied on their report to make it seem as if their lives were endangered. Turned off their body cameras. Bystanders with phones created the only path to accountability. The system is broken. https://t.co/CBnIIdnGDF
— Jamil Smith جميل كريم (@JamilSmith) June 15, 2019
Now the couple is suing the city. According to azcentral.com, “The couple is demanding $10 million from the city of Phoenix. A notice of claim filed Thursday says the police officers committed battery, unlawful imprisonment, false arrest and infliction of emotional distress in addition to violating their civil rights.”
And they’re not alone.
The charitable arm of Jay-Z’s Roc Nation, Team ROC, has offered legal support to the family.
“Absolutely sickening,” said Roc Nation Managing Director of Philanthropy, Dania Diaz, in a statement. “there is no place for that behavior in our world – let alone our justice system – and we are calling for the immediate termination of the police officers in question.”
“We are committed to supporting the family to ensure that justice is served.”
Their commitment extends to the hiring of big-name attorney Alex Spiro, who’s be joining the family’s legal team pro-bono.
"My hands are up! My hands are up!" 22yo Dravon Ames says as a Phoenix police officer yells to "get your fucking hands up." The same officer later says "You're gonna fucking get shot!"
Ames says the officers stopped him after his child walked out of a Dollar Store with a doll. pic.twitter.com/Nlkd7IXsyc
— Meg O'Connor (@megoconnor13) June 12, 2019
Officials are now issuing their own statements, including the Mayor of Phoenix, who stated in a Tweet. “This is not who we are, and I refuse to allow this type of behavior to go unchallenged.”
As the incident garners more attention, more facts continue to be revealed, including the fact that the couple was neither arrested nor ticketed, only detained. And all of this over a doll was mistakenly taken from a dollar store by a four-year-old.
