Calls for accountability in 2017 in-custody death of Black man who called for Allah, was told, ‘he’s not going to help you'

The death of an unarmed Black man at the hands of Phoenix police predated that of George Floyd in Minneapolis by three years. But the similarities are undeniable, and human rights advocates are calling for more answers.

What started as an altercation in 2017 over whether Muhammad Abdul Muhaymin Jr. could bring his service dog into a community center bathroom ended up with his death a little over an hour later. It has been dubbed Phoenix’s “I can’t breathe” moment, reported the Arizona Republic.

Family lawyer David Chami speculated that the difference in attention the two deaths got might have been due to the presence of a bystander filming Floyd’s murder with a smartphone.

Now, video of Muhaymin’s killing is leaking out bit by bit as officer bodycam footage is gradually made public.