MOBB United for Social Change Demands Justice for AJ Crooms and Sincere Pierce
On the morning of Friday, November 13th, 16 year old AJ Crooms and 18 year old Sincere Pierce were repeatedly shot and killed by Brevard county’s Deputy Jafet Santiago-Miranda, an officer with a record of misconduct and abuse, in Cocoa, Florida.
Three boys were pulling out of Sincere’s home that morning, one made it out alive. Before even leaving the neighborhood, still in eyeshot of the home, Brevard Sheriff's deputies approached their car with guns drawn. Police say they suspected the boys were driving a stolen car and had violated traffic laws. The owner of the car has vouched for the status of the vehicle and verified permission given to the boys—the claim of theft has been debunked. AJ and Sincere were not driving a stolen car and followed all of the rules of the road.
Deputies tailed and aggressively confronted the Black teens, told to us by eyewitness Cynthia Green, Sincere’s aunt who raised him all his life and was subjected to watching the entirety of this tragedy unfold. Caught in a situation that would instill fear in most, the boys slowly drove the vehicle, dash cam footage shows. Deputy Santiago-Miranda says his life was in danger to try and justify his deadly force. He discharged 10 bullets into the car, tragically taking the lives of these two innocent Black teens. The video shows that the deputy continued to fire shots into the side of the vehicle as it was passing him, after he was out of harm’s way. Both deputies on the scene, Santiago-Miranda[shooter] and Carson Hendren are on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation. This repugnant, fatal act of violence yet again underlines the dangers of driving while Black.
We now join AJ and Pierce’s families’ legal teams and call on Brevard Sheriff Ivey to take action in this case.
Call To Action
The moms of MOBB United are aggrieved by the deaths of AJ Crooms and Sincere Pierce, and we demand the following:
- Deputy Santiago-Miranda be held accountable for his reckless actions
- Sheriff Ivey implement a review of policing practices to address his department’s history of mistreatment and injustice of Black residents in Brevard county
- Results of the investigation and all video associated with the incident be released to the public as soon as possible.
Brevard County Sheriff’s Office
1-321-454-6643
Wayne Ivey, Brevard County Sheriff
[email protected] (Email is pre-filled. Just click link, sign, and send)
Address: 700 South Park Avenue Titusville, Florida 32780
Phone: 1-321-264-5201
Fax: 1-321-264-5360
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 and others 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.