On Sept. 18, over 200 people marched in Pittsburgh to protest the brutal and racist beating of Jordan Miles by three undercover cops. The incident occurred on Jan. 12, when Jordan, a Black high school student, was walking to his grandmother’s house in Homewood, one of the most oppressed communities in the city. The officers ripped the dreadlocks off of his scalp and slammed his head against the sidewalk.
Since the incident, no legal action has been taken against Richard Ewing, David Sisak and Michael Saldutte, the three officers who assaulted Jordan Miles. They have essentially been on paid vacation for the past eight months, and each has received roughly $30,000 from the city. On March 19, all three received commendations at a ceremony in City Hall.
The march aimed to put pressure on District Attorney Stephen Zappala to file criminal charges against Ewing, Sisak and Saldutte. Other demands included community control of the police force as well as an end to police brutality and racial profiling.
The march began at the exact spot where the beating took place. During the opening rally, Jordan Miles’ sister Keeli read a moving and emotional statement, saying “I don’t want to live in a world where people are not free to come and go as they please… I can’t stop thinking about my brother and all the other injustice that happens in the world.”
As the crowd moved through Homewood, residents and customers at local businesses came outside to cheer and applaud the marchers. At the closing rally, several speakers accurately identified the systemic nature of police brutality. Walter Smolarek, speaking on behalf of the ANSWER Coalition, said “Not only are those in positions of power indifferent to the racist beating of a Black teenage honor student; they actively encourage such acts of brutality. The perpetrators receive this support because the police play a key role in maintaining an unjust social order.”
The beating of Jordan Miles is not an isolated incident, and Ewing, Sisak and Saldutte are not exceptions to the rule. In a capitalist society, the police force serves the wealthy and powerful by terrorizing residents of working class communities, especially people of color. They resort to such brutal tactics simply because there is no other way to maintain a system as unjust as the one we live under.
The Party for Socialism and Liberation is a founding member and active participant in the Alliance for Police Accountability, which organized the demonstration. The struggle for justice for Jordan Miles will go on until the three cops responsible for the beating are brought to justice.
