Source: WHAS
The community of Louisville, Kentucky came together to rally in support of a local woman who still faces medical issues as the result of alleged police brutality.
The organizers hope they can remind the country that the same issues that plague Ferguson, Missouri, are plaguing cities all across the nation.
On Monday, citizens of Louisville rallied together and marched from Jefferson Park to the Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD) headquarters in support of Antwynette Houston.
It has been about a year since Houston was aggressively handled by a police officer, which resulted in a separated shoulder and a series of bruises.
A nearby security camera captured the incident.
Houston was at a Thornton’s gas station when off duty officer Scot Sturgeon attempted to restrain and arrest her for parking in a handicap zone.
Sturgeon also claims Houston did not have a drivers license, although she told local news station WLKY that she simply refused to give her license to the officer until backup arrived.
Houston, whose 9-year-old son was in the car with her, told the officer she was afraid of him but he still demanded that she hand over the license immediately.
Houston says she still has severe pains connected to the injuries from that day.
“Walking a block for me is hard because I have pain that goes up my neck and down my back and it’s there constantly – every single day,” she said.
Those who marched in support of Houston said they had a clear message for the entire nation – the type of police brutality that plagues Ferguson also plagues countless numbers of other communities across the nation.
Ferguson is where 18-year-old Michael Brown was fatally shot by officer Darren Wilson after the teen allegedly had his hands up to surrender.
The chaos that swept over the city after the shooting brought national attention to the police abuse of power and the frequency of police brutality against Black people all across the country.
“Ferguson is right here in Louisville, Kentucky,” said Kathleen Parks of the Kentucky Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, according to WHAS11. “If people don’t think so, they better wake up.”
Meanwhile LMPD Chief Steve Conrad is not only supporting the officer who handled Houston, but also sticking up for the high percentage of searches of Black residents in his district.
“There was a higher percentage of searches involving Blacks that involved probable cause and that is, at least looking at the data, the best explanation for why that might occur,” he said as he attempted to defend a recent study that revealed Black drivers are nearly two times more likely to be searched and arrested than their white counterparts.
For now, the Louisville community hopes to keep pushing for justice.
The officer was reprimanded for “violating the standard operating procedure for courtesy,” WKLY reported. “He was exonerated by LMPD for excessive use of force.”
“Every Monday at 4:30 we will be out here until something is done,” Houston said.
The department refused to comment.
