Rally references Martin Luther King Jr. as it demands justice in Herman Whitfield's death

On a day celebrating civil rights icon Martin Luther King Jr., supporters of Herman Whitfield III asked the community to fight against what they called an injustice that has been ongoing for almost nine months.

Amid a cold and unrelenting early afternoon drizzle, more than 60 supporters and Whitfield's parents gathered to hold the Justice Rally for Herman Whitfield III. Whitfield died April 25, 2022, at age 39, after being tased by Indianapolis police at his parents' northeast side home during an apparent mental health crisis.

On yellow signs on Monument Circle, supporters demanded that the officers' unedited body camera footage be released and that the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department fire the officers who were involved. The former had been accomplished Saturday, when Whitfield's family released unedited videos from the night he died. They were obtained through a federal court order directing IMPD and the city of Indianapolis to hand them over.

The rally — organized by the Justice for Herman Whitfield III campaign — had been planned before the release, organizers said. Dea Lott, a close friend of the Whitfield family and campaign coordinator, referenced the first demand as they highlighted parts of the videos they said challenged the police version of events and violated departmental procedures. Among those, she spoke about one section of video that shows officers deciding to leave Whitfield III on his stomach instead of rolling him onto his side after he was handcuffed and being held down by officers.

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"Don't wait for criminal charges. Don't wait for the criminal process," Lott said. "Take them off the street now. The community is concerned; the community is scared."

The crowd echoed her "now" by shouting the word in agreement.

The police body cam footage included 11 individual videos that were mostly between 40 minutes and an hour. Attorneys for Whitfield's family said the footage counters the version of events from IMPD in a narrated, 14-minute critical-incident video released in June. The family also released a compilation of six IMPD body cam videos with written narration and captions about IMPD general orders spliced throughout.

IMPD said it had turned over all necessary materials to all parties involved in a federal lawsuit alleging that IMPD officers violated Whitfield's rights, according to a Sunday statement. IMPD Internal Affairs is conducting a separate investigation, and the officers involved in the incident remain on administrative duty.

"At the conclusion of the criminal investigation and any criminal proceedings, the civilian-majority Use of Force Review Board will review the criminal and administrative investigations and make a recommendation to the Chief of Police on whether the officer’s actions were in compliance with department policies and training," the department said in a statement. "Based on a careful review of the facts and the Use of Force Board’s feedback, Chief (Randal) Taylor will consider discipline up to a recommendation of termination to the IMPD Civilian Police Merit Board."

The department said it does not comment on pending litigation.

Along with the demands at Monday's rally, organizers asked for community support and to keep Whitfield III's story in the public eye.

"Our mission for today is to reignite this campaign," said Stephen Lane, an organizer with the Indianapolis Liberation Center.

Lott read a statement from the family Monday that recounted the incident in which "IMPD officers killed our son before our faces," she read. It also stated that the family stands with people traumatized by police violence and requested community support.

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The statement also noted Herman Whitfield III's talent as a child prodigy and musician. The pianist and composer attended Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School before going on to Oberlin College and Conservatory and the Cleveland Institute of Music.

"Whether Herman III was exceptional or ordinary does not matter," Lott read from the family's statement. "He was a human."

Following that, speakers included representatives from the Bakery Confectionery Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers International Union Local 372-A, Black Liberation Party, Indianapolis Liberation Center, ANSWER Coalition, Party for Socialism and Liberation in Indianapolis and the Communist Party of Indiana.

"As an adult child whose parents are still living, we're supposed to watch our parents grow old," said Tamarria Fernandez, a member of the Party for Socialism and Liberation. "A parent shouldn't have to bury their child."

Speakers referenced King, as well, to commemorate the date and the legacy of his work. Kwame Che Shakur of the Black Liberation Party asked supporters to raise their fists in the air — calling the move the uniform that unites them.

"He said, 'We can never be satisfied as long as the Negro is victim of unspeakable horrors of police brutality,'" Shakur said. "We've been fighting this battle for a long time."

The Justice for Herman Whitfield III campaign is organizing another event planned for April, Lott said, that will include musicians who knew him. Details will be forthcoming.

IndyStar reporter Alexandria Burris contributed to this report. Contact IndyStar reporter Domenica Bongiovanni at 317-444-7339 or d.bongiovanni@indystar.com. Follow her on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter: @domenicareports.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Justice for Herman Whitfield III campaign holds rally at Monument Circle