Since James Lanier was killed by police in Wallace, North Carolina (Duplin County) earlier this year, his family and friends have struggled with grief and the search for meaning in this tragedy.
Team Emancipate has worked with the family in efforts to demand transformation to policing. We know that the presence of armed police escalates volatile situations. James was an unarmed person with a history of mental illness when he died. There has to be another way for us to engage that does not result in death.
Two weeks ago, Ben Crump and Dawn Blagrove visited Wallace and held a press conference with the family. Dedan Waciuri has visited multiple times, organizing folks to figure out what their demands are and how to envision community safety. Jaelyn Miller and Elizabeth Simpson visited the District Attorney office to view body camera footage of the tragic incident.
We continue to work in the community to bring hope, rather than despair.