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Four White Louisiana Narcs Choked This Young Black Man to Death in a Low-Level Drug Bust

Submitted by Phillip Smith on (Issue #1020)
Drug War Issues

New Orleans resident Keeven Robinson, 22, died after being arrested by Jefferson Parish narcotics officers last week. Police originally tried to blame his death on asthma, but now the Jefferson Parish coroner is telling a very different tale.

Keeven Robinson (Demone Robinson)
At a press conference Monday, Coroner Gerry Cvitanovich laid out what initial autopsy results uncovered: "Our initial autopsy findings reveal significant traumatic injuries to the neck, the soft tissue of the neck," he said. "These findings are consistent with compressional asphyxia. We are confident that at the end of our process, this is going to be the cause of death. Regarding manner of death, at this point, manner of death is homicide."

Cvitanovich was quick to point out that when he said "homicide," he did not mean in the legal sense, but in the sense that Robinson died as a result of the actions of others.

According to the sheriff's office, four undercover narcotics deputies, who Sheriff Joe Lopinto did not name but identified as white, were surveilling Robinson, a black man, as part of a drug dealing investigation and followed him to a gas station on Jefferson Highway late last Thursday morning.

When Robinson noticed the agents, who wore badges, approaching him, he attempted to drive off, but jumped from his car about a block away after running into two sheriff's vehicles. The narcs pursued Robinson in a foot chase as he leaped over fences before catching him in the back yard of a residence.

Again, according to the sheriff's office, the deputies then struggled with Robinson, who was carrying what they suspected to be heroin, before they managed to handcuff him. At that point, he stopped breathing. He was rushed to Oshsner Medical Center nearby, but died there.

Jefferson Parish sheriff's deputies do not wear body cams.

Robinson was not armed, though Sheriff Lopinto said a gun was found in his car.

Lopinto originally said investigators were looking into whether Robinson's history of asthma contributed to his death, but his family immediately expressed skepticism about that possibility. They said they feared the narcs had either beaten or strangled him to death.

And the coroner's report is proving them correct. Jefferson Parish NAACP President Gaylor Spiller said she was pleased the coroner's office issued a ruling on Robinson's death so quickly and that "there was no cover up."

But Spiller was speaking prematurely. The investigation into the killing of Keeven Robinson is just getting started, and the inevitable finding that no one is criminally responsible is still months away. Call me cynical , or call me a student of what happens when police kill people.

In this case, an unarmed black drug suspect was choked to death by four white narcs. Who wants to bet on any of them being charged with a crime?

Permission to Reprint: This content is licensed under a modified Creative Commons Attribution license. Content of a purely educational nature in Drug War Chronicle appear courtesy of DRCNet Foundation, unless otherwise noted.

Comments

Seth Tyrssen (not verified)

There is no excuse for this -- no matter which race is involved.  It's time to stop the madness, and stop waging war against a beneficial plant.  What you do at home is your own business.  Down with the Supercapitalist Robber-Baron police state!

Thu, 05/17/2018 - 3:01pm Permalink
jimheffner (not verified)

Where do they find all these LEOs who don't understand they're accountable? I actually saw a legitamite shoot on video the other day.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2EwJYRVixIU Just to show a bit of equal time for our servers and protectors even if it was in Brazil.  After the brew-ha-ha caused by the police killing of Kelly Thomas a homeless schizophrenic in Fullerton, Ca. in 2011 I thought our LEOs would start some self policing but they just don't learn.  Outside enforcement for any organization can be a real female dog.  Anger for being made to look like idiots is not justification for killing a fleeing suspect.  Trying to intimidate anyone who looks at them does not endear our boys and girls in blue to the public.  Eventually  Joe Sixpack and Suzy Soapopera will wake up and realize they are not immune to abuse from 'authorities' and demand accountability.   Can you imagine having to tell your family to keep a low profile around police back in the 1950s?  Google Sir Robert Peel's 1829 Princples Of Policing to get an idea of how police should be interacting with the rest of us.  

Thu, 05/17/2018 - 3:26pm Permalink
scottfickes (not verified)

So the guy runs in a panic and will not stop for questioning. Felony murder fugitive? Why didn't he stop? Gun? Warrant? Crime? Guy runs and struggles against arrest. Cops didn't know, but kid acted like it. You would rather this crime in your town? On you? Support your local police.
Fri, 05/18/2018 - 10:01pm Permalink
Cop watcher (not verified)

In reply to by scottfickes (not verified)

Perp runs, killer cops sense its killing time. Blood in the air. Hunter packs. Group think. Racist moron trolls are always around to have the backs of killer cops. That's why body cams are necessary. Even the "good" cops who don't use choke holds will rarely cross the thin blue line, and testify against their alpha-male killer pack leaders.

Sat, 05/19/2018 - 10:19pm Permalink
the virgin terry (not verified)

unlikely there will be any charges. if there are, they will likely either be dropped, plea bargained down to something minor, or result in an acquital at trial. (in)justice system is corrupt and crazy as fuck.

call me cynical too.

Sat, 05/19/2018 - 10:53pm Permalink

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