James Lanier, a Black man, was unarmed, unclothed, and suffering from a mental health crisis when he was tased, shot, and killed by police in February outside a mini mart in his hometown of Wallace, NC. Lanier had struggled with schizophrenia from a young age; police were called to the scene with allegations that he had been disturbing customers. The Wallace police have not released any footage of this tragic incident.
Lanier’s family have retained nationally renowned civil rights and personal injury attorney Ben Crump and Emancipate NC Executive Director Dawn Blagrove to represent them as they seek justice for their son, brother, uncle, and friend.
Stay tuned for more updates as this case progresses. And rest assured that we’ll keep fighting for justice until the day when police are no longer a threat to our communities and everyone can receive the care and treatment they deserve.