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252

Kerwin Harris died after a St. Louis cop held him in a chokehold in 2012. It was ruled an accident. (missouriindependent.com)

submitted 3 days ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

11 comments fedilink hide all child comments

Harris was chased, pinned face-down and held in a carotid-artery chokehold by then-St. Louis police officer Steven Pinkerton, who thought he matched the description of a robber-at-large.

Another officer used a Taser to shock him six times.

When officers finally handcuffed him and rolled him to his back, Harris’ body was limp. Police couldn’t find a pulse. Soon after midnight on Dec. 23, 2012, Harris — a Black 39-year-old father of two — was declared dead.

The police later concluded he wasn’t involved in the robbery.

The St. Louis medical examiner’s office eventually ruled Harris’s death was an accident caused primarily by heart disease.

The death didn’t spur protests, lawsuits or media scrutiny.

The Independent began looking into the 2012 death as part of a months-long investigation into the case of another Black man from St. Louis, Kurtis Watkins, who was convicted of charges related to a shooting based on the testimony of a single eyewitness: Officer Steven Pinkerton.

Watkins and his lawyers never learned about Pinkerton’s involvement in Harris’ arrest and death, which legal experts agree could have been used to challenge his credibility at trial.

Harris’ family, too, was largely kept in the dark about the circumstances of his death. They were suspicious of the police account but had no evidence to the contrary. They were never given the medical examiner’s report or the police report.

Three longtime forensic pathologists who agreed to review the records for The Independent said Harris’ death should have been ruled a homicide, not an accident.

Archived at https://ghostarchive.org/archive/LpdV8

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[–] [email protected] 37 points 3 days ago (1 children)

If I put someone in a choke hold and they died, I would be in prison.

But give me a badge and it's an accident.

[–] [email protected] 25 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Pinkerton stayed with the St Louis PD until he was “forced out” in 2021. He posted on Facebook:

“For all you mother f—— at the St. Louis Police Department,” one post began last November, “especially the Internal Affairs Division, you can all kiss my a— for condemning me and pushing me out of my decorated career and losing my ability to retire with the benefits I wanted, all because I exposed the corruption behind the prosecution of Derek Chauvin.”

Don’t worry, he immediately bounced to a police department in a nearby town, where he remains on active duty.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 3 days ago

because I exposed the corruption behind the prosecution of Derek Chauvin

What did you expose, bud? That cops kill people?

[–] [email protected] 18 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Terrorism.

Cops are terrorists.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 3 days ago

It only counts as terrorism if the goal is to terrorize the police! Lol

[–] [email protected] 20 points 3 days ago

The Missouri Independent is a bastion of journalism in the state. Their journalists do incredible work shining a light in this awful state.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 3 days ago

I believe that you didn't intend to kill someone. You still killed someone.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago)

Four police did the same thing to Manny Ellis

A few of the ex-police that did that live uncomfortably close to me.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 3 days ago (2 children)

This (too) is such a strangely American issue for some reason! In Hungary the police has way way way more power! You can be stopped, identified, searched and held up, even imprisoned any time for as long as they deem it necessary… And police have no body cameras! Yet, I have never even heard of any abuse

[–] [email protected] 5 points 3 days ago

You might find this interesting.

Police practices remain unchanged: ethnic profiling, stop and search, and discriminatory fining practices by local police are routine, while excessive use of force against Roma and a culture of impunity within law enforcement remains the norm.

https://www.errc.org/news/how-racist-and-incompetent-policing-cost-romani-lives-in-hungary

[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 days ago

I have never even heard of any abuse

I think those are your key words there! Haha