On December 7, 2022, Alamance County Sheriff’s department abused and injured a 60-year-old Black grandmother, Elinor Blackwell, during a traffic stop. The reason for the stop? She was driving too slow on the highway when it was dark and raining outside.
After being pulled over, Elinor Blackwell was dragged from her vehicle by two officers from the Alamance County Sheriff’s department and then slammed onto the highway pavement. While on the ground, one officer repeatedly punched her in the head and pressed on her neck and another officer punched her in her back. Eventually Ms. Blackwell, a 60 year old woman, had four officers sitting on top of her as her face and body were pressed into the highway pavement, with the fourth officer immediately placing his knee on Ms. Blackwell’s neck upon approach.
Throughout the stop, Ms. Blackwell repeatedly cried out for help, prayed, and stated that she had done nothing wrong. By the end of the encounter, a dozen police officers showed up to the scene all for the crime of an elderly woman driving too slow in the dark while it was raining.
Alamance County Sheriff’s department continues to use excessive force and violence on citizens that pose no threat to their safety or the safety of anyone else. The department continues to waste taxpayer dollars and resources on ridiculous crimes like driving too slow. The department has repeatedly been sued, yet no matter how many tax dollars are wasted they refuse to comply with the United States Constitution and instead continuously violate the rights of citizens and impose unnecessary violence and brutality.
“When a dozen officers show up to punch a grandmother in the back of the head for driving too slow, it is time to demand accountability,” said Jaelyn Miller, an attorney with Emancipate NC. It is time for Alamance citizens to stand up and demand a police force that treats them with respect and dignity and utilizes its resources to protect the community, not terrorize and beat grandmothers for driving too slow.
Emancipate NC and family and friends of Ms. Blackwell will hold a press conference in Alamance County on her court date.