MOBB United for Social Change demands justice for Danny Ray Thomas, Killed While in a Mental Health Crisis
On March 22nd, Danny Ray Thomas was killed by a Harris County Sheriff’s deputy in Houston TX. Mr. Thomas was behaving erratically in an intersection, with his pants at his ankles and foaming at the mouth, clearly in a severe mental health crisis. Officer Cameron Brewer approached Mr. Thomas with his gun drawn and fired within seconds, killing Mr. Thomas. No weapon of any kind was found on Mr. Thomas and video of the incident shows him to clearly be confused but behaving in a non-threatening manner.
Suffering a mental health crisis should not result in a death sentence. Law enforcement officers are often called to help individuals suffering from mental illness. Who else can a community call upon when a neighbor or loved one is in distress? Officers must be better equipped to respond to these situations without use of deadly force. Brewer had many other options for subduing Mr. Thomas without resorting to lethal force. Sheriff Ed Gonzalez has expressed concern that no attempt was made to de-escalate the situation. We need more than just the Sheriff’s concern- we need the results of the department’s internal investigation as well as a clear plan of action to re-train officers.
M.O.B.B. United for Social Change demands justice for Danny 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.
Contact the city and county officials below:
- Demand that Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg indict the officer responsible immediately. Charges must be brought against Deputy Cameron Brewer
- Request the Harris County Sheriff’s Office 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 Harris 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. In addition, the Department should release a statement detailing their compliance with the Sandra Bland Act.
Kim Ogg, Harris County, District Attorney
1-713-274-5800
[email protected] (this email is pre-filled - just click, sign, and send)
Ed Gonzalez, Sheriff, Harris County
1-713-221-6000
[email protected] (this email is pre-filled - just click, sign, and send)
Art Acevedo, Chief of Police, Houston Police Department
1-713-308-1600
[email protected] (email to Mr. Acevedo is included with Sheriff Gonzalez)
Christine McGee, Legal Manager, Harris County Sheriff's Office
1-713-755-4511
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.