Cousin of BLM co-founder killed with taser by LA police forces

Keenan Anderson, a cousin of Black Lives Matter co-founder Patrisse Cullors, died of a cardiac arrest last week shortly after being tased by police in Los Angeles, LAPD reported.

Anderson, 31, was also a 10th-grade English teacher and a father of a six-year-old son, according to CNN. The incident occrred at the Venice neighborhood of the city.

He died at a hospital in Santa Monica, BBC reported, 4.5 hours after he was tased. Anderson tested positive for cocaine and cannabis, the report also stated, citing a toxicology report produced by the LAPD.

Cullors posted on Instagram about her cousin's death, stating that "he was killed by LAPD.

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A post shared by Patrisse Cullors (@osopepatrisse)

“Keenan deserves to be alive right now, his child deserves to be raised by his father," she continued.

Body camera footage

The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) released body camera footage of the incident, which shows Anderson being detained by a policeman. Anderson said in the video that someone was trying to kill him. The footage then cuts to 7 minutes later when Anderson starts to run away from the officer and ignore his request to stop.

The officer catches him and restrains him along with two other officers who arrived at the scene. One of the other officers who arrived repeatedly tased Anderson while he was pinned to the ground.

“They’re trying to George Floyd me!” Anderson shouted while detained by officers, referring to the man who was murdered by Derek Chauvin in 2020 - which sparked mass protests across the US.

Anderson was visiting LA from Washington DC, according to The Washington Post.

Officers were initially called after a traffic collision that involved Anderson. Witnesses at the scene said that Anderson caused this traffic accident, according to an LAPD press release.

Police chief Michel Moore told a news conference that Anderson committed a felony hit-and-run in a traffic collision, BBC reported. However, Cullors told The Washington Post that she is joining other activists in demanding Moore's resignation.