We, the Tallahassee Dream Defenders, call on the City of Tallahassee and the Tallahassee Police Department to end their police terror and over-prosecution against African American and poor communities. Over the past decade, The Tallahassee Police Department has been accused of over 24 cases of police violence and over use of force. They continue to oppress our communities through constant surveillance, violence, racist over-prosecution of African American communities, and stop-and-frisk like policies called ‘Weed and Seed Zones.’

Within the past year killer cops in Tallahassee have shot five people, mostly African American and other minorities. On Feb. 3, another act of violence was committed against our people. Unarmed 28-year-old Jeremy Lett was shot by police officer David Stith. Jeremy Lett committed no crime, except for the fact that he looked like a “suspected robber.” Police officer David Stith has had a history of violence, was suspended for excessive force in May 2012 and later suspended for 40 hours after yelling obscenities towards members of the Girl Scouts.

We call on those in power to immediately fire Stith from the police department and to press charges against the officer.

We want to see democratic changes made to the practices of the department; we want our communities to be empowered to fight against the brutality and terror that is inflicted upon us. This system of white supremacy can no longer stand.

We call for the following:

1. We demand that Mayor Andrew Gillum use his power to call for the firing of all killer cops and to press charges against those who are convicted of police brutality,
2. We call on Gillum to support a community controlled and community-led initiative by supporting the establishment of a citizens review board,
3. We want Gillum to address the issues of racism and white supremacy within the department.
4. We call on State Attorney Willie Meggs to press charges against Police Officer David Stith and to end the over prosecution of Black communities.
5. Police Chief Michael De Leo must fire all killer cops and press charges against the officers responsible.

We demand that the City of Tallahassee address the needs of African American and other oppressed people. We are ready to take action and we are committed towards dismantling the unchallenged hegemony of police terror amongst our communities. We will no longer stand for the genocide and murder of our people. The white supremacist system of the U.S. that has oppressed and profited off slavery and the murder of oppressed peoples for the past 200 years must come to an end. We want to see political empowerment and national liberation for African Americans and other oppressed peoples.

In our effort to dismantle Police Terror in Tallahassee, we are holding a Call-in Day on Wednesday, Feb. 11 between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. to put pressure on those in power. We want our power and our voices to be known.

Call Chief of Police Michael De Leo at 850-891-4341 and Call State Attorney Willie Meggs at 850-606-6000. For more information on the case and for general call-in scripts: https://www.facebook.com/events/414924218675053/

End Police Terror! Send Killer Cops to Jail!

#TallahasseeFL #PoliceBrutality #DreamDefenders