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Following the fatal shooting of unarmed Derrick Kittling, a 45-year-old Black man in Alexandria, Louisiana, by a White Rapides Parish Sheriff Deputy, the victim’s family has hired Civil Rights Attorney Ben Crump as new video surfaces of the horrific shooting.
“Law enforcement officers who act without consideration of the deadly consequences of using force should not be serving our communities,” said Attorney Ben Crump. “This community deserves to know that law enforcement in their communities will protect and serve, not inflict deadly harm.”
According to Louisiana State Police Commissioner Col. Lamar Davis, Kittling was stopped by Deputy Rodney Anderson on Sunday afternoon, November 6, 2022, due to window tint violations and a modified exhaust pipe in Rapides Parish (County) in Alexandria, Louisiana – a town with a majority Black population (54.65%).
Mistrust between Alexandria’s Black Community and Law Enforcement
Trust between the city’s Black population and the local law enforcement is at record lows since a previous video surfaced showing former Louisiana State Police Officer Jacob Brown, a White man, violating Aaron Larry Bowman’s civil rights, leaving him with a broken jaw, broken ribs, and a laceration to the head during a 2019 traffic stop.
Despite distrust, however, peaceful protests have taken place throughout the City of Alexandria since Derrick Kittling’s murder.
“That sheriff’s department under the current Sheriff Mark Woods has a plethora of problems when it deals with African Americans,” organizer and protester Rev. Randy Harris told HuffPost.
“It’s tragic with what happened to Derrick, but unfortunately, it is more than likely to happen again. I have zero faith in the sheriff’s department.”
Dash camera from Deputy Anderson’s law enforcement vehicle shows Kittling stepping out of the driver’s side of his Chevrolet Silverado pickup and only walking a few feet from his vehicle.
Anderson immediately begins directing verbal orders at Kittling while stepping out of his deputy vehicle.
“Ah! Stay right there.” Pointing toward Kittling’s Chevrolet Silverado, he says, “Ah, right here. To the truck. To the truck. Yeah, go to it. Walk over here. Walker over here. Walk to your truck.” Anderson gives his location via his radio: “Standby: 8th and Bridle.” Then he continues giving orders to Kittling, saying, “to the back of your truck. Show me; keep your hands outta ya pockets. Put ’em on the — walk to the back of the truck. Walk to the back of your truck. Out with a Silverado temp tag…(in audible)”, Anderson reports.
Derrick Kittling is seen obeying orders and walking to the back of his pickup truck, the Chevrolet Silverado.
Anderson walks toward Kittling while continuing verbal orders. “Face the back of your, face your truck for me,” he tells him.
???CAUTION: Following the fatal shooting of unarmed Derrick Kittling, a 45-year-old Black man in Alexandria, Louisiana, by a White Rapides Parish Sheriff Deputy, the victim’s family has hired Civil Rights Attorney Ben Crump as new video surfaces of the horrific shooting. pic.twitter.com/qdQTFLoYK5
— The Black Wall Street Times (@TheBWSTimes) November 23, 2022
Derrick Kittling feared for his life.
In the state of Louisiana, assault is considered any intentional act or threat of action that reasonably causes a person to feel afraid of impending violence. As aforementioned, Alexander’s Black community’s trust in local law enforcement was broken due to the surfacing of a previous police brutality video.
Without telling him that he’s under arrest, Anderson begins reaching for Kittling’s wrist.
Just then, Kittling asks the deputy, “What’s the issue?”
Anderson then replies, “Huh?”.
“What’s the issue?” he says again.
Anderson legally assaults Derrick Kittling, eventually grabbing him by the wrist – saying, “Because you’re agit- you’re agitated. You turn around and ain’t following nothin’.”
Kittling: “I am following.”
Anderson: “Look, turn. Turn!” He says while trying to physically turn Kittling around.
Kittling: “Look, I don’t hear you. Look! Can I get my phone? Seriously!” Kittling says.
Anderson: “We’ll get to that. Just turn and face the truck. Turn and face the truck!” Anderson places two hands firmly on Kittling.
Anderson: “Turn and face the truck? What I did? What is wrong with you? Why is you grabbin’ on me, mane (man)?”
Anderson takes one of his hands off Kittling – notably, he doesn’t try to flee.
Anderson: “Give me a unit,” Anderson demands across his radio.
“Why are you grabbing on me, brother?” Derrick Kittling asks.
Anderson: “Turn around, and put your hands on your back!” Anderson commands sternly.
Kittling: “What’s wrong with you, brother?”
Anderson: “Put your hands behind your back.”
Kittling: “For what?”
Anderson: “Put your hands on.”
Kittling: “For what?”
Anderson: “Put your hands!”
Body camera footage shows Anderson pulling his taser, while standing less than a foot from Kittling, then fires. Kittling blocks the taser, which falls on the ground. The taser appears to be picked up by Kittling, but it is unclear whether he pointed it at the deputy.
From multiple angles, Anderson is seen wrestling with Kittling. Approximately a minute later, the deputy shoots Derrick Kittling in the head, instantly killing him.
“Shots fired, shots fired,” Anderson shouts.
“We are also gathering that information with regards to their protocols, their policies, their training and so forth,” Col. Lamar Davis said, according to HuffPost. “And we will be able to better determine that information once we receive that.”
Deputy Rodney Anderson is currently on administrative leave while Louisiana State Police investigate the incident. In addition, Attorney Ben Crump is demanding that Anderson be fired and is accusing him of racial profiling, which led to Derrick Kittling’s murder.
Attorney Ben Crump also issued the following statement:
“Our thoughts are with the Kitting family as they grieve the loss of Derrick and search for answers as to why their loved one was killed. We stand with the family, dedicated and determined, to learn why Derrick, who was unarmed, was subject to that traffic stop and why he did not make it home that day.
“Video evidence is the most reliable and transparent way to obtain answers and explanations in cases of deaths resulting from law enforcement actions. We urge the Rapides Parish Sheriff’s Office to release all footage from this incident so that this family and community can get the closure and answers they deserve.”
Killed over tinted windows. That officer was just doing what they had always done. Their job has always been to keep black people down and in fear. Pulled over for no reason and if you dare to ask why, you are shot. ANY white person would have been given an explanation about the windows being too dark. But with a brother there is no discussion, just obey me or die. Ask a question and your are called “agitated” or uppity Negro. No rights, no life, and so it goes for a hundred years in this backwater racist town still clinging the the use of law enforcement to keep the black person in his or her place. The whole department should be fired, clean house, this is a mindset that is too dangerous for black people to live in. This criminal officer should be punished, but instead he will get a medal and be treated like a king by the white power structure of rural south townships.
GregBreakPointGmailCom – you’re a clown. Blacks feel entitled to question, disobey, resist and fight with police. They reap what they sow. Cops are 18.5-20x more likely to be shot n killed by an armed black male than vice versa, which is only 2.5-3x, and not always killed, just shot. 1% (or less) of the 6% of black population in this country commit over 50% of the ENTIRE nation’s murders, non-negligent manslaughters, and other violent person crimes. Black males are the problem in this country, not cops or white males. FACT!
The most biased and stupid take on this case that I have seen. To say the suspect feared for their life is laughable. They clearly didn’t fear the officer, and were extremely combative to the point of physically assaulting the officer.
“Killed for tinted windows” no. Killed for taking an officer’s taser, attempting to use it against him, then attempting to take his firearm after Kittling wrestled the officer to the ground and pinned him. Officer was 100% justified and you look like idiots trying to spin it any other way.