10 June 2020
Janet Alder explains the similarities between the case of George Floyd and that of her brother, Christopher Alder, who died in police custody in Hull in 1998.
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"When I saw the video of George Floyd, with a police officer kneeling on his neck for almost nine minutes while his life drained away, it reminded me of another black man Id seen slowly die while detained by police 20 years ago my own brother, Christopher Alder.
...As I watched Christopher lying there on his chest, with his hands behind his back, motionless, a voice inside me wanted to scream at the callous way my brother was dumped and left on the cold stone floor, gasping. I wanted to go and comfort him, but it was all happening on screen, beyond my control. None of his family even knew he was there.
... I feel sure the Floyd family feels the same way: that same combination of disbelief, shock and powerlessness. And I am sure they feel, as I did, the devastating frustration when none of the officers in the video attempted to lift a finger, even those who could clearly see his distress."
I know how George Floyds family feels I watched my brother die in police custody (New Statesman, link)
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