KOMPLEXIFY!

Joseph Mann was an ambitious guy with a thousand-watt smile. The 51-year-old was youngest of 5 children, and spent most of his life in and around Sacramento, California. Joe was an underground DJ in college, spinning an eclectic mix of jazz, rock, and classical. He also earned a degree in Business and Communications, and worked as a technician for the California Department of Corrections. Unfortunately, he fell in love with a drug addict and spiraled into her world, eventually losing his car, his job, and his home. Lost, Joe returned to live with his mother for support and to rebuild, but she was in ill health and died less than a year later. The loss of his mother sent Joe adrift. He would disappear for months at a time, homeless, purposeless, penniless. His oldest sister kept his belongings in a suitcase in a make-shift room for him in her garage, and Joe would materialize from time to time to tell her he was okay, and to look through his photos in the suitcase to remind him of who he once was.

Joseph Mann was murdered by police on July 11, 2016, for throwing a thermos. He had been reported walking down a street doing karate moves with a 4-inch blade and shouting. Two cops arrived, and told Joe to drop the knife and get on the ground; he threw his thermos at them and continued shouting. A second pair of cops arrived, and the driver declared: “Fuck this guy, I’m going to hit him.” He attempted to run over Joe… twice… with his cruiser, but Joe avoided being hit and bolted across the median and attempted to run away. The two cops exited the cruiser and shot him 14 times in the back as he fled. Neither cop was charged with a crime.

Black lives matter.

Aiyana Stanley-Jones was a loud, little mystery. The girl from Detroit was both bossy and sweet, a tomboy and a princess, helpful in class and headstrong at home… your typical 7-year-old. She loved Disney and was enamored with animated princesses and Hannah Montana. She was a hard worker at school, always angling for another gold star. She loved music and especially dance, and ever since she was 6-months-old knew how to find the beat and rock it – she even took over for her kindergarten teacher during a Christmas program, since Aiyana knew the Jackson 5 dance routine better than the teacher did!

Aiyana Stanley-Jones was murdered by police on May 16, 2010, for a TV show. Looking to apprehend a murder suspect for the show The First 48, cops and producers decided on an exciting midnight raid of his building rather wait until morning. The cops and crew burst into the apartment, firing a flash grenade into it to disorient the suspects inside. But they got the wrong apartment – the suspect lived in the apartment one floor up. Instead, they burst in on Aiyana sleeping with her grandmother on the couch, with the grenade setting Aiyana’s blanket ablaze. When she and her grandmother jumped up from the couch, the lead cop shot Aiyana once through the head. The cop was charged with manslaughter, but after two mistrials had all charges dropped.

Black lives matter.

Ronell Foster was fire and ice. The 33-year-old resident of Vallejo, California, was known as CatDaddy to his parents and friends. He was a loving son to his parents, and a devoted dad to his two kids. But he also had learning disabilities and emotional problems that made him irrational and paranoid. His ex-girlfriend’s family had a restraining order against him, and he had spent the better part of his adult life in trouble with the cops, repeatedly arrested for driving under the influence and auto theft. He was serving time under official supervision, trying to straighten his life out with the support of his girlfriend.

Ronell Foster was murdered by police on February 13, 2018, for riding his bicycle. A cop spied him riding his bike at night without a headlamp and decided to stop him for vehicle code violations. The cop tried to pull him over, but Ronell continued on pedaling. After three blocks, Ronell ditched the bike and the cop tackled him to the ground. The cop tased Ronell twice, and while he was stunned, bludgeoned him with his flashlight on the head and torso several times, cracking Ronell’s skull. When the cop stood up to catch his breath, Ronell swatted the flashlight out of his hands and attempted to escape over a fence. The cop shot him seven times in his back and head. The cop was not charged with any crime, and he would go on to murder Willie McCoy a year later. The police department has since destroyed all photos taken of the Ronell Foster crime scene.

Black lives matter.

Willie McCoy was about to break through. The 25-year-old grew up in California, first Sacramento and later Vallejo. He lost both of his parents to cancer before his teens, and while trying to come to grips with growing up without them, he discovered he had a natural gift for rhymes and beats. He dropped out of school to focus on music. He earned his GED and, under the stage name Willie Bo, formed the rap group Forever Black Gods, determined to make it big. FBG’s songs spoke of “brotherhood and unity” – what you want for yourself is what you want for your brother. Willie’s lyrics focus on growing up poor and black, and while they were often about guns and money, they were also about loss and family. He took the work seriously, reading up on the music business and how to network with collaborators and expand their fan bases. He was a rising star in the California music scene, viewed by his collaborators as authentic and invested in using his growing fame to help his friends.

Willie McCoy was murdered by police on February 9, 2019, for sleeping in his car. Wrapping up a particularly grueling concert tour, Willie fell asleep in his car at a Vallejo Taco Bell drive-thru. Six cops arrived to conduct a “welfare check” on the driver. The cops found Willie asleep with a gun in his lap, but noticed that it did not have a magazine loaded in it (meaning it had at most one bullet to fire). They kept their flashlights and guns trained on Willie as they discussed how to get into the car, and when Willie finally woke up, he startled suddenly at the flashlights in his eyes. All six cops unloaded their guns: 55 shots fired over 4 seconds, hitting Willie 25 times in his face, throat, chest and arms. No charges were ever filed against any of the cops.

Black lives matter.