My friend Erin Forbes was a security guard getting off of his night shift when he was chased down and shot by the police on CityLine Avenue between Lower Merion Township and Philadelphia in March of 2000. CityLine was the racial divide between predominantly Black West Philly and predominantly White Lower Merion. The police claimed that Erin had stolen four dollars from a convenience store.. in reality he apparently had a disagreement with the store clerk (an old acquaintance whom he’d argued with before) over the amount of change he was owed after a purchase. According to video tape from the store a scuffle broke out and Erin took the amount of change he was owed. Policed chased Erin to CityLine Ave. His parents, both history professors in African studies had taught Erin that driving while black was dangerous.. and to try to stop in well lit areas with other people around. It was early morning.. workers at stores on CityLine were just arriving to work. Erin stopped and the police ordered him out of his car.. with up to eight police cars from Lower Merion and Philadelphia soon surrounding his car.. he got out and was shot on the spot. The police went to his home to “look for a gun” in his room.. Erin had no gun. He was a peaceful person.. educated and compassionate. A group of us.. friends.. tried to approach the police to see the police video cameras of the shooting. They reported that all of the cameras in all of the cars had been out for servicing on the morning of the shooting. We organized protests.. stopped traffic.. petitioned congressmen to no avail. Justice was never served. Regardless of any claims made by the police.. Erin didn’t deserve to die. This event changed my perception of how these things unfold. I never finished the painting.
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