Dante Parker
Parker was a 36 year old man from California who was stopped and questioned by police while riding his bike. Nearby, a home had been burglarized and the victim reported that the suspect had rode away on a bike. Parker allegedly did not cooperate and was combative, and was tased several times with a stun gun. Once handcuffed and subdued, he was placed in the back of a cruiser where he was observed to be breathing and sweating heavily. After being taken to a nearby hospital, Parker was pronounced dead. Those that knew Parker dispute he would have been violent towards police. He is survived by his wife and 5 children.
Artist: Muna Abdurrahman
Available in 2.5"x3.5"
Dudley George
Dudley George was killed during a First Nations protest at Camp Ipperwash in the Stoney Creek Reserve. The people of Kettle and Stoney Creek First Nation were relocated when their land was sold to the Government of Canada to occupy during World War 2 with a promise to return the land once the war had ended. The Government did not keep its promise and in 1993 the Kettle and Stoney Creek First Nation (George amongst them) began to reclaim their land by occupying portions of the area. In 1995 the OPP attempted to remove the occupants through shows of force and intimidation and on September 7th a riot squad was dispatched to force the protestors out. During the chaos an unarmed Dudley George was shot 3 times by the OPP. George was left to bleed out and die, having received no medical attention or access to an ambulance. In 2016 the land was officially given back to the Kettle and Stoney Creek First Nation which is occupied by 100 residents today. Dudley George is a reminder of the many atrocities the Government of Canada committed against First Nations people and how it affects them through generations.
Artist: Kaleb Siddique
Available in 2.5"x3.5" and 8.5"x11"
Elijah McClain
On August 24th 2019, 23-year old Elijah McClain was walking home after buying some tea at a local convenience shop. Elijah was wearing a ski mask to keep his face warm, as he suffered from Anemia. The Aurora Police Department received a call of a 'suspicious man', a call which resulted in his death. As horrific force and violence were used by the police, the paramedics were called to administer a dose of ketamine to 'sedate' Elijah. The amount of kedatime injected into him was enough to sedate a 220lb man, Elijah was only 140lbs. He was then taken away in an ambulance where he went into cardiac arrest twice. He was pronounced dead on August 27th 2019.
Denver 7 News stated "...they couldn't determine whether McClain's death was an accident, was due to natural causes, or is a homicide related to the police department's use of a carotid hold." The officers on the scene were placed on temporary leave, however, they are back working in the field with no charges.
Elijah was a massage therapist and a self-taught violinist. He would play the violin for cats at a pet shop next door on his lunch break, he believed the music put them at ease. Friends & family described him as "a spiritual seeker, pacifist, oddball, vegetarian, athlete and peacemaker who was exceedingly gentle."
I wanted to capture his gentle personality through this illustration, with the calm of the sand, stars and the sea, his passion for the violin and his love of running - he ran in barefoot running shoes as he believed they are more natural for humans to wear.
After months of hardly any publicity, Elijah's death is being newly investigated. We must demand justice for Elijah. Please sign the petition
Artist: Evie Grace Caldwell
Available in 2.5"x3.5"
Eric Garner
Garner was 43 when police approached him under the suspicion that he was selling single cigarettes without tax stamps. Garner expressed his grievances constantly being harassed and insisted he wasn’t selling cigarettes. The police attempted to arrest him, wrestling him to the ground after Garner resisted putting his arms behind his back. An officer placed his arm around Garner’s neck while multiple other officers held him down. Garner repeated that he couldn’t breathe 11 times before losing consciousness. An ambulance took Garner to the hospital and was pronounced dead an hour later.
Garner’s death was ruled a homicide, and the officer who placed him in the illegal choke hold was terminated from the police force. This officer had 187 cases of misconduct before Garner.
Garner is survived by his wife, 6 children and 3 grandchildren.
Artist: Lisa Qiu
Available in 2.5"x3.5"
Ezell Ford
A long time member of his Los Angeles neighbourhood, Ezell Ford was the oldest of seven children. His youth was largely spent playing basketball, and from an early age he developed aspirations to go professional - as well as attend school to study medicine. Entering his later teenage years, Ford was diagnosed with depression, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia. As reported by locals and police officers within his community, he had become more introverted and reserved around this age, partially due to the medications he took for his aforementioned mental health issues.
“The whole neighbourhood took care of him," said neighbour Ashanti Harrison.
On the night of August 11th 2014, LAPD officers Sharlton Wampler and Antonio Villegas approached Ezell Ford in his neighbourhood as part of an 'investigative stop.' Officer Wampler had personally known Ezell. Accounts of the incident from neighbours, police management, and the officers involved greatly conflict.
Accounts from multiple neighbours and family members tell a story of officers with weapons drawn approaching Ford with his hands up, tackling him to the ground and shooting him 3 times in the back, putting him in handcuffs. The commotion formed a crowd around the incident. In an attempt to cause the group to disperse, officers pointed their guns at the crowd. When Tritobia Ford, Ezell’s Mother, arrived officers drew their billy clubs and refused to inform her where her son was being taken.
13 seconds had elapsed from the time police left their squad vehicle to the first shot being fired.
13 seconds to steal a boy from his neighbourhood.
Artist: Patrick Lameront
Available in 2.5"x3.5" and 8.5"x11"
George Floyd
George Floyd was killed in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 2020, under the suspicion of using a counterfeit bill. Two police officers restrained him, a third officer prevented bystanders from intervening, and a fourth officer kneeled on George’s neck for nearly 8 minutes. George repeated at least 16 times during those 8 minutes that he could not breathe, while bystanders pleaded with police that George “wasn’t even resisting arrest,” that he “[wasn’t] fine,” and to “get him off the ground.” But the officers continued anyways, even threatening bystanders with mace. After further urging by bystanders, officers finally checked George’s pulse, finding that it had stopped. But the officer’s knee was still not removed from George’s neck, and was only removed a minute after the ambulance arrived. Floyd was pronounced dead at the hospital. His murder was caught on camera.
George’s death triggered the George Floyd protests against police brutality, police racism, and lack of police accountability. Over 60 countries internationally expressed support for Black Lives Matter, and over 2,000 cities in the United States alone have had demonstrations as of June 13th. His death was deemed a homicide, and all officers were charged.
Artist: Naomi Robson
Available in 2.5"x3.5" and 8.5"x11"
George Stinney Jr.
George Stinney Jr. (October 21, 1929 - June 16, 1944) was an American child who was unfairly convicted for the murder of two white girls, ages 7 and 11, in his hometown of Alcolu. There still remains a lot of controversy regarding whether he truly committed this crime. However, no confession statement signed by Stinney is known to exist. Arresting officers most likely coerced the young boy into confessing, supposedly having starved and bribed him to get him to confess.
Additionally, while he was being detained in a jail at Columbia for 81 days, his family was not allowed to see him. Leading up to his trial, he had no support from his family, friends, or an attorney; he was alone. He pleaded guilty in front of an all-white jury and was executed by electric chair in June 1944 when he was just 14-years old. Stinney is currently the youngest American to be sentenced to death and executed. In 2014, 70 years after he was executed, his conviction was overturned and was deemed to have received an extremely unfair trial.
Artist: Joselia Carlos
Available in 2.5"x3.5"
India Kager
27-year-old Navy veteran India Kager was killed after being shot at multiple times while parked at a 7-11. Her boyfriend became involved in a shootout with the Virginia Beach Police SWAT team, who threw a flashbang at their parked car and fired 30 shots. Their four-month-old baby son was sitting in the back seat and was the only one who survived, with both parents being killed. The prosecutor's office deemed that no charges would be brought against the involved officers, S. Ferreira, K. Zeimer, J. Thorson, and D. Roy’s, because the shooting was deemed justified. The case has raised concerns about excessive use of force as there were innocent bystanders, such as India Kager and her son, in close vicinity when police opened fire. The artwork depicts India Kager's son, now four years old, kissing his mother's photo in remembrance.
Artist: Stacey Lin
Available in 2.5"x3.5"
Jordan Davis
Davis was a 17 year old boy from Jacksonville, Florida. He and 3 of his friends pulled into a gas station. Michael Dunn pulled into the parking spot adjacent to the vehicle Davis was in and was annoyed by the volume of their music. After an argument with Davis, Dunn pulled out a handgun which he carried legally with a concealed weapons permit and began firing at Davis. He was shot in his legs, lung and aorta, dying of his injuries shortly after. Dunn continued firing as Davis’ friend backed the vehicle away. Dunn tried to claim that Davis had a weapon, which was never found, and disputed by Dunn’s girlfriend. Dunn was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life without parole.
Artist: Kiana Michel
Available in 2.5"x3.5"