On Aug. 23, a diverse group of about 75 people gathered in the Newtown neighborhood of Sarasota, Fla., to demand justice for Michael Brown and to demand answers and justice for the police murder of unarmed, 23-year-old Rodney Mitchell.
In 2012, Rodney Mitchell was pulled over in Newtown by Sarasota Sheriff’s Deputy Adam Shaw for an alleged seat belt violation. Newtown is a predominantly Black community where racist police harassment is commonplace. Sgt. Deputy Troy Sasse arrived as backup and parked his cruiser in front of Mitchell’s vehicle. Within seconds, both deputies fired into the vehicle. Rodney’s 16-year-old cousin was in the passenger seat. The deputies fatally wounded Rodney Mitchell. Reports revealed that Mitchell was unarmed and wearing his seat belt. Mitchell had recently graduated from college where he had an athletic scholarship. Mitchell was father to a 4-year-old son at the time of his death.
The deputies were cleared of any wrongdoing by their own agency, claiming that Rodney drove at one of the deputies. However, forensic evidence from the vehicle’s tires shows that the excuse was fabricated. One of the deputies had several complaints in his personnel file for misconduct during traffic stops, and he had come off a 90-day probation the day before the shooting. A federal civil rights lawsuit is pending.
The demonstration was attended by many members and friends of Rodney’s family, student activists and local community leaders. The protesters chanted along a busy intersection across from the gas station where Rodney was murdered. They put their arms up while they chanted in solidarity with Michael Brown and the people of Ferguson. Countless motorists honked in support to chants such as “Sarasota deputies, you are guilty!” “No justice, no peace, no racist police!” and “Hands up, don’t shoot!”
Liberation News asked Gsare Jenkins of Bradenton, Fla., why she decided to join the march. She said, “We want to get justice for Rodney as well as Michael Brown. … I have a 5-year-old son, and what am I to look for when my son grows up as an African-American male?”
Twayne Rounds, a military veteran and resident of Sarasota described his experience dealing with police harassment on a weekly basis. “Being from this neighborhood, I’ve never seen so much corrupt things as is coming from our police department, and these are people you’re supposed to put a lot of trust in.”
The protesters marched to Martin Luther King, Jr. Park where there was a speak-out with the attorneys for the Mitchell family, student activists and organizers. One of the individuals who participated in the speak-out was an emotional mother whose son had also been murdered by Florida law enforcement.
The demonstration was organized by The Rodney Mitchell Foundation, the ANSWER Coalition (Act Now to Stop War and End Racism) and the Party for Socialism and Liberation.
