An California family says their 11-year-old Elijah Hunter was tackled by police at the California State Fair last week on Kids Day.
Hunter’s family, their attorney, Black Lives Matter Sacramento and the Greater Sacramento National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) came together on Monday at a press conference stating that the his civil rights were violated and they’re now asking for policy changes regarding security at Cal Expo.
Cynthia Martin, Elijah’s mom, said that his shirt was covered in blood according to KCRA 3.
“They [Cal Expo police] knew that they injured him because they provided the first-aid before we even made it to Kaiser hospital, where he received further treatment,” Martin said.
However, in a statement to KCRA 3, Darla Givens a spokesperson at Cal Expo, claimed the pre-teen only suffered a small cut. Givens added that police were called about a child attempting to steal things from fair vendors, climbing over a safety fence and almost being hit by a roller coaster ride.
Betty Williams the president of Greater Sacramento NAACP, says that nothing excuses the behavior of Cal Expo officers toward the child.
“What makes him different from any other 11-year-old? I’ll tell you what it is. He’s Black. He’s a Black man, a Black male. It doesn’t matter your age when it comes to this society and law enforcement. You are treated differently,” Williams said.
The family and attorney shared concerns about a document that they said Elijah was forced to sign without any family members present.
Cal Expo officials says that once their policies are violated, fairgoers are asked to not return and sign a document agreeing to not come back. Now the family is asking for the names of the officers involved to be released along with body camera video. They are also asking for officers to be terminated.
Link to original The Black Detour