MOBB United for Social Change demands justice for Jamarion Robinson; a young man in need of mental health support, received gunshots instead
On August 5, 2016, 26 year old Biology student at Tuskegee University, Jamarion Robinson was shot over 76 times by a task force comprised of police officers from seven different Atlanta-region agencies (including Fulton, Clayton, Gwinnett County police and US Marshals), while in his girlfriend’s apartment in East Point, Georgia. Seven officers entered Jamarion Robinson’s girlfriend’s home to serve a warrant, broke down the door and immediately began unloading bullets into the home. The officers did not check to verify how many people were in the home when they sprayed bullets from their semi-automatic weapons. The officers also knew that Jamarion suffered from mental health issues, and was at the time suffering from bipolar disorder and paranoid schizophrenia and had not been taking his medication. Other than pounding on the door, they made no effort to engage Jamarion and no efforts to de-escalate the situation. Jamarion had no history of any violent crimes, nor was he a convicted felon.
Almost two years later, Jamarion’s mother still has no answers about her son's death; and, no accountability for the clear excessive use of force. The Fulton County police department has not conducted a transparent investigation; it is clear, also, that the scene of Jamarion’s death was tampered with. Georgia Bureau of Investigations and Fulton County District Attorney's Office have been leading the investigation. No information has been shared with the family.
Suffering a mental health crisis should not result in a death sentence. Law enforcement officers are often the first on the scene, when called to help individuals suffering from mental illness. The brutal way in which Jamarion was dealt with demonstrates that law enforcement officers are not equipped to respond to these situations without use of deadly force. We need the results of the department’s internal investigation, we need members of the task force who executed Jamarion to be held accountable, and we need a clear plan of action to re-train officers.
M.O.B.B. United for Social Change demands justice for Jamarion Robinson and for continued improvements in the ability of law enforcement to help those in critical mental health emergencies.
Call To Action
#ProtectThem by demanding immediate action for justice.
Please contact the official below and state the following:
- Demand that Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard bring charges against the task force responsible for Jamarion’s death.
- Request the Fulton County police department release the results of their internal investigation and a detailed plan of action for re-training all officers on interactions with individuals facing a mental health crisis.
- Call for review and reforms of the Gwinnett, Fulton County and Clayton County Sheriff’s Office’s policies on use of force, use of investigatory stops, use of racial profiling and request the initiation of implicit bias and de-escalation training for all officers.
Paul Howard, Fulton County, District Attorney
1-404-612-4981
[email protected] (Email is pre-filled. Just click link, sign, and send)
Tweet @fultoncountyda
M.O.B.B. United for Social Change, Inc. is a nationwide coalition of moms who are dedicated to making the world a safer place for Black boys and men by eradicating harassment, brutality and unwarranted use of deadly force by law enforcement against our sons. The group was born out of frustration over the deaths of Alton Sterling, Philando Castile in Minnesota and numerous other innocent Black boys and men killed by police before and after them. It has grown into a mobilized force of moms determined to make a difference. We aim to influence both policy and perception that impact how Black boys and men are treated by law enforcement.