Beautiful Virgin Islands

Tuesday, Jun 24, 2025

Keenan Anderson: Black Lives Matter founder's cousin dies after police arrest (video)

A 31-year-old father and English teacher died from cardiac arrest last week after he was repeatedly tased by police, according to the Los Angeles PoliCe. A cousin of the Black Lives Matter co-founder Patrisse Cullors died hours after he was repeatedly tasered and restrained in the street by Los Angeles police.
Keenan Anderson, 31, a teacher and father, died at a hospital in Santa Monica.

Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) have released body camera footage of the 3 January encounter.

It shows Mr Anderson begging for help as officers hold him down.

The police who tasered Mr Anderson were called to a traffic accident in the Venice neighbourhood of Los Angeles at around 15:00 local time.

Police chief Michel Moore told a news conference on Wednesday that Mr Anderson had committed a felony hit-and-run in a traffic collision.

He said Mr Anderson had attempted to flee the scene by trying to "get into another person's car without their permission".

Footage shows Mr Anderson in distress when police arrive, telling the first officer "somebody is trying to kill me", although no visible threat appears on camera.

Initially, Mr Anderson sits down as directed but as more police arrive he gets up and runs into the street while ignoring requests for him to stop.

When police reach Mr Anderson and attempt to detain him, he is initially compliant before shouting: "Please" and "help" and "they're trying to George Floyd me!" - a reference to the May 2020 murder of a black man in Minneapolis, Minnesota, by a policeman.

The stun gun was initially used on Mr Anderson for about 30 seconds after an officer warned him multiple times to "stop [resisting arrest] or I'm going to tase you". Other officers were holding him down. He was then tasered again for roughly five more seconds.

An ambulance arrived about five minutes after he was tasered, police said, and brought Mr Anderson to a local hospital. He died about four-and-a-half hours later after going into cardiac arrest, according to police.

A toxicology report produced by the LAPD showed that Mr Anderson's blood tested positive for cannabis and cocaine. The Los Angeles County coroner's office will conduct a separate report.

The footage adds to pressure on the LAPD, whose encounters with black and brown men have resulted in three deaths in under a week.

Takar Smith, 45, and Oscar Sanchez, 35, were both shot dead by officers at the start of January.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass called the incidents "deeply disturbing". The police department said it was investigating the three men's deaths.

Mr Anderson lived in the Washington DC area and was visiting Los Angeles. His death has renewed calls from activists for police reform, some of whom believe gun-carrying police should not be deployed to traffic accidents.

Patrisse Cullors, Black Lives Matter co-founder and Mr Anderson's cousin, told the Guardian: "My cousin was asking for help, and he didn't receive it.

"My cousin was scared for his life. He spent the last 10 years witnessing a movement challenging the killing of black people.

"He knew what was at stake and he was trying to protect himself. Nobody was willing to protect him."

Ms Cullors and others are calling for the LAPD police chief to resign.

Mr Moore said he had expedited the release of the video footage of Mr Anderson due to public interest. He said it normally takes 45 days.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
“You Have 12 Hours to Flee”: Israeli Threat Campaign Targets Surviving Iranian Officials
Macron and Merz: Europe must arm itself in an unstable world
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Airlines Evaluate Flight Cancellations Amid Escalating US-Iran Tensions
Starmer Invites Innovators to Join Government Talent Scheme
UK Economy’s Strong Opening Quarter Shows Signs of Cooling
Harrods Seeks Court Order to Secure Al Fayed Estate for Victims
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
Labubu Doll Drives Pop Mart to Status as China’s Most Valuable Toy Maker
Global Coal Demand Defies Paris Accord Goals
We have new information and breaking details to share about what is shaping up to be a historic air campaign tonight
Six Massive Bombs Dropped on Fordow; Trump: 'A Historic Moment for the U.S., Israel, and the World'
Fordow: Deeply Buried Iranian Enrichment Site in U.S.–Israel Crosshairs
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Pakistan to nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize.
BBC Demands Perplexity AI Immediately Stop Using Its Content
Telegram Founder: I Will Leave My Fortune to Over 100 of My Children
Political Turmoil Resurfaces in Belgium Amid Economic Concerns
Fed policymakers divided on timing of interest rate cuts
Trump signals imminent agreement with Harvard University
Inheritance tax referendum alarms Swiss billionaire community
Japan cancels bilateral security meeting amid US defence demands
AI skeptic Emily Bender warns that ‘the emperor has no clothes’
Israel Confirms Assassination of Quds Force Commander in Tehran
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
FBI and Senate Investigate Allegations of Chinese Plot to Influence the 2020 Election in Biden’s Favor Using Fake U.S. Driver’s Licenses
Vietnam Emerges as Luxury Yacht Destination for Ultra‑Rich
Plans to Sell Dutch Embassy in Bangkok Face Local Opposition
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump's $5 Million 'Trump Card' Visa Program Draws Nearly 70,000 Applicants
DGCA Finds No Major Safety Concerns in Air India's Boeing 787 Fleet
Airlines Reroute Flights Amid Expanding Middle East Conflict Zones
Elon Musk's xAI Seeks $9.3 Billion in Funding Amid AI Expansion
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Taiwan Imposes Export Ban on Chips to Huawei and SMIC
Israel has just announced plans to strike Tehran again, and in response, Trump has urged people to evacuate
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Juncker Criticizes EU Inaction on Trump Tariffs
EU Proposes Ban on New Russian Gas Contracts
×