Grieving and controversy stirs in the hearts of the loved ones of Keeven Robinson, a 22-year old African American man who should still be alive. Keeven Robinson was a drug suspect in a town in Louisiana, and died during his arrest on Monday, May 14, among four white narcotic deputies from “asphyxiation”. Robinson had a medical history of asthma and while the officers claim the air quality was “poor”, the results from the Jefferson Parish’s Coronary Office beg to differ. The coroner, Gerry Cvitanovich, who performed the autopsy, states the results reveal Robinson’s death was “caused by the actions of another” because he had significant trauma injuries to his neck aside from the officers saying he died from asphyxiation. According to NBC News, the coroner adds that once the full autopsy process is finished, it will be easier to confirm the cause of death, which appears to be “compression asphyxia” which is equivalent to someone choking, grabbing, or leaning on Robinson’s neck. Immediately, when Robinson’s mother and family was notified, they were skeptical about Keeven dying from the effects of only asthma, and were concerned for the accuracy of the reporting, because the Jefferson Parish officers don’t wear body-cameras or have dash cameras in their cars. Currently, the case is being ruled as a homicide, but the question is whether or not the investigation will justify force being used. Robinson was unarmed, but was said to have a gun in his car. He was also away from his car, so the validity of a gun in his possession is up for discussion. The overall summary of Robinson’s incident carries an unsettling parallel to the controversy surrounding Sandra Bland’s death in July of 2015; she was found hanged in a jail cell after being arrested for a traffic violation three days prior. Sandra Bland’s situation received major publicity with an uproar of activists demanding justice in this case of racial discrimination and police brutality. Sandra Bland was killed in police custody, after an unlawful arrest was made by Brian. T. Encinia, who the grand jury later convicted. Sandra Bland’s arrest and death took place in Texas, and Keeven Robinson’s arrest and homicide took place in Louisiana – both conservative states. At the end of the day, the statistics point to the biased answer of racial discrimination being the determining factor in whether a person is suspected, and then arrested. According to the NYPD’s reports and analysis on crime enforcement, 38% of victims of a misdemeanor criminal “mischief” are black, 28.9% are Hispanic, while 21.9% are white. Furthermore, the percentage of suspects is even a little more drastic – 48.9% of suspects are black, 30.2% are Hispanic, and unsurprisingly, 16.5% are white. Nearly half of suspects for misdemeanor criminal “mischief” are African American, and less than a quarter are white? As for the arrestees, people of color unfortunately dominate that category with a staggering 40.4% of arrests of African Americans, Hispanics following a close second with a number of 34.0% and Caucasians still possessing the low number of 20.5%. An opinion is an opinion until supported with valid evidence, and there is only fact here. While the facts are uncomfortable for some to face, ignorance is worse. It’s important to take into consideration that these statistics are only representative of New York, a far more liberal state than Louisiana.
In conclusion, Keeven Robinson only died in vain if people are not awakened from their slumber of blindness, and come to the realization that change is necessary for progress, for a better tomorrow. Let the death of this young man represent the need for change in the training and process of criminalizing individuals, and let his life be remembered in positive spirits so that he may not have died in vain of racial injustice.