What Happened To Derrick Kittling?

Derrick Kittling was killed by a Louisiana deputy over tinted windows.

A Louisiana parish deputy stops a motorist for tinted windows and the situation escalated to the motorist being shot and killed. The cop claims he was reaching for his Taser. Cop claims he "feared for his life." 

The usual I killed a man because he resisted and "I feared it was him or me." 

The cop is in the freezer and the junk food media covers it.

The far right is trying to justify it as the fault of the motorist and claim that every motorist that ain't white should comply to police. Read it in the comments of most social media platforms and hear the Republicans and police unions say this word vomit.

Tell that to the former president and the Jan. 6 Insurrectionists. Many of these folks have been unrepentant in the attack on the U.S. Capitol.

According to the far right: White shooters are mentally ill. Black shooters are unrepentant criminals. Gay shooters are active groomers. Muslim shooters are terrorists. Hispanics and Asians shooters are illegal immigrants. Almost all mass shooters are registered Democrats because they have liked one thing common to the left.

When the person is unarmed, they said well he/she did something to trigger a shooting (i.e. fleeing, reaching, stealing or threatening). White motorists are treated with somewhat less hostility.

Getting away with criminal acts only seem to be white, conservative and often well off.

In Alexandria, Louisiana, Derrick Kittling’s Chevrolet Silverado was pulled over earlier this month. And in 58-seconds, an officer shot the 45-year-old Black father of three in the head.

Kittling was allegedly pulled over for tinted windows and loud engine exhaust. 

The deputy did not address that. He completely escalated the stop by giving confusing orders and detaining him without addressing the reason of the pullover.

Deputy clearly escalated the situation.

Louisiana State Police, in coordination with the Rapides Parish District Attorney’s office, provided the first look at multiple videos, including body and dash cam footage, from the Nov. 6 shooting. The update, which included a press conference Sunday as well as a 12-minute video dissecting the footage, also revealed the name of the officer involved—Rapides Parish Deputy Rodney Anderson—and why the routine stop escalated in the first place. 

Anderson was in the Alexandria area, which lies outside of the Copseriff’s Office jurisdiction, because of prior reports of individuals “carrying weapons,” according to Davis. The Rapides Parish sheriff requested additional units go to that area to investigate but did not elaborate further.

In the videos, Kittling doesn’t appear to know why he’s being stopped. 

“What is wrong with you, why are you grabbing on me, man?” Kittling asks Anderson as the officer grabs him by the wrist.

“Turn around and up your hands behind your back,” the deputy says.

“For what? For what bro?” Kittling asks.

The body cam footage shows Anderson pulling Kittling over and stepping partially out of his patrol car. The dash cam shows Kittling stepping all the way out. Anderson then orders Kittling nine times to step closer to the back of his truck before he makes his way to the rear of the Silverado.

The dashboard video shows Anderson approach Kittling and asking him to face the truck.

“What’s the issue?” Kittling asks twice as the officer grabs his wrist.

“You’re agitated, you’re turning, and you ain’t following directions,” Anderson says.

“I am following directions,” Anderson says. “I don’t hear you. Can I get my phone, sir?”

“We’ll get to that, just turn and face the truck,” Anderson says.

After Anderson asks twice more for Kittling around, Kittling asks why he’s being stopped. Anderson then draws his taser with his right hand and Kittling immediately grabs the deputy’s wrist before the officer’s arm could be fully extended to point the weapon. Holding each other, the two fall to the ground and the taser can be heard going off. 

As the two struggle out of sight of the dashboard camera, Kittling can be heard asking, “What’s wrong with you bro?” on the body camera footage.

Kittling’s hand can then be seen grabbing the taser laying next to them, and the taser sounds off once more. The struggle continues for a few more seconds, as bystanders begin filming. From this angle, Kittling can be seen on top of Anderson. The Black man briefly gets to his feet before falling to the ground again in the struggle. Less than two seconds later, the deputy fires his gun. Only one shot can be heard on body camera footage, and police confirmed it struck Kittling in the head. 

State police say Anderson called for emergency services, but Kittling succumbed to his injuries after being rushed to the hospital.

State Police confirmed during Sunday’s press conference that Kittling’s family was shown the police video before it was released to the public.

Now his family attorneys demand the record and training behavior of this deputy.

The State Police investigation into the shooting continues, Davis said. Its findings and video footage will be turned over to the Rapides Parish District Attorney’s Office. 

There has been no word from State Police or the sheriff’s office about whether Anderson followed proper procedure during the traffic stop. Asked why Anderson was in the Lower Third area, Davis said the sheriff’s office had received reports about people with weapons there.

“I support the release of these videos to ensure the public has a transparent and unbiased account of what occurred,” Rapides Parish Sheriff Mark Wood said, in part, Sunday in a statement. “Today’s release of the videos of the incident has provided context of what occurred. Anytime a serious injury or death is involved, it is a tragedy and families on both sides are impacted forever.”

At a press conference Thursday, Kittling’s family demanded the release of the footage, noting that Kittling was unarmed and that no reason had been provided why the deputy pulled him over. Civil rights attorney Ronald Haley, representing Kittling’s family, repeated the demands at the press conference held on the steps of the Rapides Parish Courthouse.

Kittling is the brother of one of the highest-ranking officers for State Police, Lt. Col. Kenny Van Buren, who was not involved in the troopers’ investigation of the shooting.   

A funeral service for Kittling was held Saturday morning. LaNeesha Alexander, his oldest daughter, lamented the loss of her father and their building memories and relationships at Thursday’s event. 

“He was the sweetest man ever,’’ Alexander said, wiping back tears. “… Y’all took that from us. Y’all took that from me and my sisters.”

Demand answers to why a deputy escalated a fatal shooting of a motorist.

Every community in the United States will eventually have a legacy. A legacy of tragedy. Gun violence, monkeypox and COVID-19 will affect your town, your family and your life. So I don't want to hear that bullshit about how gun reform is taking away your rights to own firearms.

I don't want to hear that protesting against police killing people of color is hate on cops in general. I don't want to hear talk about the coronavirus being a myth.

When you hear folks say "gun rights," what they really mean is that its white privilege. This good guy with a gun nonsense has to end. The cops didn't do nothing when children were shot inside a school. A security guard was shot dead trying to protect shoppers. A cop accidentally shot his own. The good guy who tried to stop a bad guy is outgunned and a part of the rule #3.

Remember #3 means: The "good guy with a gun" better be prepared to die if they want to stop a shooter.

I don't want to hear folks say masks and vaccine mandates impede their freedoms. It prevents a deadly outbreak from spreading. If you want to die from the coronavirus, that's on you. We lost over 1 million people from the coronavirus.

I don't want to hear the shit about guns saving lives. Cause a bullet does not have eyes and it's always likely gonna hit a target. These folks seem to not get it. These incidents are a tragic part of American history. Thoughts and prayers and your heart going out to the victims is not enough. It quite frankly is an insult. I am also tired of scapegoating Black on Black crime, Chicago, Baltimore and Democratic mayors for the nation's obsession to be numb to gun violence. You pretty much enable this nonsense by deflecting.

President Joe Biden is trying to curb gun violence. However, he has no support from Republicans. Most Democrats and America are for gun control measures. However the two Democrats in the Senate refuse to change the filibuster rules and its holding us back.

The National Rifle Association is always pushing against it. They will not relinquish from the narrative that guns are not saving lives. The Republicans aided by a fickle junk food media are openly encouraging anarchy and disruption in a desperate attempt for the Republicans to win back Congress and the White House. These agitators are calling for Biden to curb crime but will not help him. They want more guns on the street. It makes no sense.

So in closing, expect more.

The website Officer Down is a memorial to those who were killed in the line of duty. Those who don't get their names mentioned in the junk food media. Also the website the National Gun Violence Memorial also keeps record of the many individuals killed by gun violence. 

Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (Lifeline) at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or 988, or text the Crisis Text Line (text HELLO to 741741). Both services are free and available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The deaf and hard of hearing can contact the Lifeline via TTY at 1-800-799-4889. All calls are confidential. Contact social media outlets directly if you are concerned about a friend’s social media updates or dial 911 in an emergency. Learn more on the Lifeline’s website or the Crisis Text Line’s website.

The call number to the U.S. Capitol is now going to be used. This is the official phone number, 202-224-3121. Let them know that "thoughts and prayers," "hearts going to" and "good guys with guns" are no longer acceptable and you want legislation to curb gun violence.

GUN VIOLENCE IS THE NUMBER ONE PROBLEM IN THE UNITED STATES.