The Sad Suicide

2020-11-06 14:52:10 Written by Bianca Myrtil

In this modern age of science where it has become easier to catch criminals, some innocent people still die because of this system. The main reason for this is the criminal negligence of human beings. Can you imagine a young man committed suicide just because he was falsely accused of stealing a backpack?. Today's story is something like this. This is the story of an innocent man who was pushed to the brink of death by the system.


Kalief Browder:

 

There are three reasons for Kalief Browder’s tragic Death: corrupt correctional officials, three years on Rikers Island, and criminal prosecutorial misconduct also Delayed TRIAL.

 

It is hard to believe about such a compounded negative process of incidents that could be put together and end a young black man’s life. Keep in mind, This all started with a backpack. 

 

Kalief committed suicide on June 6, 2015, at 12:15 pm. His mother, Venida Browder, remembered how she heard steps in the room above her, and then a loud thump like the sound of something being thrown out a window. As she related the story of how she discovered her son hanging from a rope, Venida Browder told Vice News how she understood, “That loud sound was his body banging up against the residence.”

 

Early Life:

Because of substance abuse problems, Kalief’s biological mother had to put him up for adoption when he was just a baby. Kalief was then raised by his adoptive mama, Venida Browder.

Venida, a lady with a great heart, raised a total of 34 children throughout her life. This number included her biological children, adopted children, and the many kids that she fostered. 

 

Kalief lived in a caring environment and was explained by school staff members as an intelligent and “funny boy.” Unfortunately, in 2009, when Kalief was only 16-years-old, he was accused of grand larceny after police confirmed that he had stolen a bakery truck for a joyride and hit it into a stationary car. This of course had zero to do with the case at hand.

 

Although Kalief pleaded guilty at first, he later declared that he was just a spectator. Kalief was charged as an adult, reported as a youthful criminal, and put on probation. It’s logical to assume that if Kalief was never put on probation that the incidents that followed might not have happened. 

 

Kalief Browder is held on suspicion of snatching a backpack and probation Locked him in pending a violation of probation. This automatically banned him from release on bail.

 

On May 15, 2010, Kalief Browder and a friend were returning residence from a party when they noticed police officers ahead. Since Kalief had been subjected to different routine stop-and-frisks by police officers throughout his life, he concluded that this was what was going on. He would soon know that these policemen were reacting to a 911 call over a stolen backpack. The man who placed this call was a Mexican settler named Roberto Bautista. 

 

Little did Kalief and his friend know, Bautista was seated in a nearby patrol car searching faces for the two black men he thought to have stolen his brother’s backpack. The larceny had occurred two weeks earlier, and the backpack included an iPad Touch, a camera, a credit card, and $700. 

 

Bautista recognized Kalief and his friend as the thieves, so they were both apprehended. Kalief said to the police officer, “I did not steal the backpack. You can see my pockets,” but the police officer would only reassure him, “We’re just gonna take you to the area,” as he attempted to convince Kalief he would likely later be discharged. 

 

After 17 hours Kalief was investigated and charged the next day with robbery, grand larceny, and attack. At his arraignment, he was charged with second-degree larceny and his bail was set at $3000 (which would be about $210-$450 if the Guardian used a bail bondsman). Even though his mother hurried to put together the money for his bail, even though his friend was released, Kalief was on probation and was banned to be released. Thus began the 3-year suffering. Kalief started awaiting trial and was sent to Rikers Island, which is known for having a serious culture of abuse. Kalief was sent to a facility where detainees endure various violent pains such as “broken jaws, broken orbital bones, broken noses, long bone fractures, lacerations requiring stitches and death is not excluded. 

 

From July 2010 to May 2013, the trial date after the trial date would be delayed because “the officials were not ready.” 

 

For 3 years, Kalief Browder would endure countless insults at the hands of prisoners and disciplinary officers.

Kalief himself described how he felt the need to get tougher immediately when he arrived at Rikers. The sad thing is that the violence was not only committed by prisoners. Disciplinary officers would do things like line inmates against a wall and attack them as they searched for the troublemaker of a prison fight.  

 

 On September 23, 2012, a video was even released showing Kalief being attacked by prison guards while in handcuffs. All this pain contributed to the paranoia and mental disease that finally led to Kalief Browder’s death by suicide. 

 

He made several suicide attempts while in jail and the sick fact is that, although correctional officers interfered to make sure Kaliefs tries were unsuccessful, Kalief reported that it was the correctional officers who urged him to do it. 

 

After 961 days in prison, Kalief defined the judges as “playing with his case.” The incredible thing is that through all of this, Kalief Browder maintained his innocence.

 

A stolen backpack or a stolen life?. On May 29, 2013, Kalief Browder was eventually released from prison. 

On June 6, 2015, at 12:15 p.m., Browder hanged himself from an air conditioning unit outside his room window at his mother's residence. His mother found his body.

A life ended because of a backpack.

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