The Los Angeles Police Department couldn’t even make it through three days of the new year without multiple reported officer-involved deaths. On Jan. 3, 2023, Keenan Anderson — father, English teacher, and cousin of Black Lives Matter co-founder Patrisse Cullors — died in the hospital after being repeatedly tased by police. Anderson’s death marks the city’s third officer-involved death this year.
“The details of his death are as disturbing as they are tragic,” Mashea Ashton, founder of the school where Anderson taught 10-grade English, said in a statement, as reported by CNN. “Keenan was a deeply committed educator and father of a six-year-old son. He was beloved by all.” According to police reports, officers claimed they responded to an afternoon traffic collision, where they said they saw Anderson “running in the middle of the street and exhibiting erratic behavior.” Police body-cam footage from multiple responding officers, which was released by the LAPD, shows that Anderson initially approached an officer (who was on a motor bike) in the street and said, “Please help me,” then continued running and pointed in another direction when the officer asked, “Where are you at?”
