Christopher Whitfield was the embodiment of “it takes a village.” The 31-year-old resident of Ethel, Louisiana, “Whip” was the eldest of six siblings. He was a kind person who always had a smile on his face. His was diagnosed with schizophrenia and had difficulty managing his medication, but his tight-knit family and community knew him and helped him. He had a few run-ins with the cops, including some jail time, most often for theft. Often, the police would simply go to his home and wait for him to return, as they were part of his community safety net.
Christopher Whitfield was murdered by police on October 14, 2019, over a frozen chicken. Responding to a call that a person broke into a gas station’s outdoor freezer and stole a bag of frozen chicken, a cop confronted Christopher, who fled. The cop – who had been previously convicted of illegally firing his weapon in 1992, assaulting his girlfriend in 2004, and resisting an officer (stemming from his use of excessive force) in 2008 – gave chase. He fired a warning shot at Christopher’s feet, and managed to catch up to him, grabbing his hoodie. After a brief struggle, the cop shot him the back. He was not charged with any crimes.
Black lives matter.
