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This is the saddest thing we’ve ever heard.

The Detroit police were on a high-speed chase in a busy neighborhood when they plowed over several people, including children. Two young siblings, Michelangelo (6) and Makiah Jackson (3) were playing in front of their home when the police car appeared apparently chasing a red Challenger. Witnesses claim the the Challenger was bumped by the police car, causing it to fly in the air. However, the driver of the Challenger is the one being blamed for their deaths.

A friend of the family described the horrible scene:

“[The police] were right on their rear, the police car bumped their tail a little bit, and the car flew up in the air,” the friend said. “There was no need for the police to be that close. I yelled ‘WATCH OUT’ but it was too late. When the car hit them, both of them just looked at me. They screamed. It just keeps re-playing in my head. … I ran down there, I yelled out their names, but they were gone. Makiah’s eyes were wide open, they died on impact.”“I’m the last one they talked to. They looked at me, they were here, I saw their faces. L’il Mama (Makiah) thought I was going to take them to the park, so she came with me to the sidewalk. I told her I promise I’ll take you to the park tomorrow.”

Witnesses heard tire squeals, as if the car was attempting to stop, but by then it was going too fast and had lost control and hit the two small children, killing them instantly. The pursuit only lasted 75 seconds. The minute police lit up their sirens, reports claim, they lost sight of them.
The car dragged the children down the street and the police still didn’t stop their pursuit. They kept on chasing the car across the neighborhood’s front lawns until they eventually crashed. Along the way, the police plowed over three more children: Darius Andrews, Jr., Isaiah Williams, 5, and Zyaire Gardner, 7.

Twenty-two-year-old LaKendra Hill sustained injuries. The father of the youngest called seven-year-old Zaire “the real hero,” adding, “He saved my son’s life. He grabbed him and tried to hold him.”
According to the police report, they were chasing 29-year-old Lorenzo Harris who had been on parole, but wasn’t checking in with his parole officer. Ok, so this is basically a man who wasn’t checking in, so he had to be caught by all means necessary, even at the expense of taking precious lives. This is a disgusting display of the misuse of authority. Also, where was this officer’s dash cam? According to reports, it wasn’t working.
Police Chief James Craig claimed that the police pursuing Harris saw him holding a gun. However, Craig later claimed there was no gun and that the chase started when the police “made eye contact” with occupants of the car. All of this reads as irresponsible. Speaking of reading, check out the Detroit Police Department’s official policy:
“Members involved in a pursuit must question whether the seriousness of the violation warrants continuation of the pursuit. A pursuit shall be discontinued when, in the judgment of the primary unit, there is a clear and present danger to the public which outweighs the need for immediate apprehension of the violator. Officers must keep in mind that a vehicle pursuit has the same potential for serious injury or death as the use of fatal force. … Officers must place the protection of human life above all other considerations.”
Human life above all else, except in this case and likely the many others that haven’t made the news. Who is training these police officers? This is a brand new type of police brutality that should not be taken lightly. These officers should face criminal charges. When will our lives matter?
Our hearts and prayers go out to the Jackson family.

If you want to support the Jackson family, donate here.

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