Justice for John Crawford, Ohio Student Association
Justice for John Crawford, Ohio Student Association
The Ohio Student Association is working to highlight the injustice that ended John Crawford’s life at the hands of law enforcement.
Police fatally wounded John Crawford after responding to a 911 call claiming Crawford was “waving a gun at customers.” Crawford had picked up a toy BB gun from inside the store which sold the gun, in an open carry state. He was then gunned down by police.
Surveillance footage shows that Crawford was not waiving the gun as the witness, Ronald Ritchie, has originally claimed. Ritchie later recanted the statement he made on the 911 call--the statement which ultimately contributed to Crawford’s death.
On Saturday, October 18 at noon, the OSA will be holding a major action in honor of John Crawford at the Ohio Statehouse in Columbus, Ohio. Please join the movement to continue to fight for justice and highlight the need for a shift in policing policies around the country. Additionally, the organization is working towards a massive early voting effort on Oct. 25. All of this just a few weeks after OSA successfully occupied the Beavercreek Police Department for days, until the BPD would address their concerns.
On Tuesday evening, organizers from the Ohio Student Association and others held a conference call to outline the goals and demands of their Justice for John Crawford campaign moving forward.
In their continuing work to stop the criminalization of young people of color, Mike Brown and John Crawford are only two of the victims in a long list of youth OSA is seeking justice for.
The goals and demands of OSA are to address both systematic over-criminalization and serve justice for the murder of John Crawford. On a large scale, OSA wants a fundamental shift in the relationship of power between police, youth, and communities of color. In Ohio, they want to see an overhaul of shoot-first policing and are demanding a statewide database to track police brutality.
In Beavercreek, they want the police department to fire Officer Sean Williams, who killed Crawford. Crawford is the second person to die at the hands of Officer Williams in four years.
In addition, OSA is calling for criminal charges to be filed against Ronald Ritchie for his 911 call. The call he placed, and later changed to match with surveillance footage, contributed to Crawford’s death because Ritchie’s call gave police officer Sean Williams the impression Crawford was dangerous.
We need a shift in the policing policies in this country. The War on Drugs and the War on Terror have helped shape a police culture that is at war with Americans on American soil. Further, both wars target people of color by using prejudicial stereotypes. The police have been armed to go to war and the legal system has fallen short in holding them accountable for taking lives.
John Crawford was a victim of excessive policing and shoot-first policies. It's so fucking upsetting to think that if Crawford had been a white man holding a gun, in a store that sells guns, in an open carry state, he would probably be alive today.
It's time for everyone to stand together and change this system. I fear the police because of my own experiences with overzealous officers operating outside of the law. I can't imagine how that fear feels when you are on a list of acceptable targets.
Please join the movement for justice--stand with OSA at the Ohio Statehouse October 18 and raise your voices to the systems of power that must change.
