twenty bullets, a hair brush and mental illness galore

Ms. Denise Owens, mother of the victim says: "He was artistic. He tried to express himself," describing Khiel's love of basketball and music and his hobbies: drawing and writing poetry and short stories. "He needed a little counselling."

The victim is Trinidadian born 18 year old Khiel Coppin.

Now demonised in the media, "he has trouble with the law before; an out patient at a psychiatric unit.. and the list of woes goes on and on...

Meanwhile the Polic Officers cannot deny they knew he was unarmed... he was merely branishing a hair brush...

Khiel fell under a barrage of twenty shots from five officers acting "within department guidelines". The medical examiner at the hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival reported bullets hit Khiel Coppin in his chest, hip, forearm, knee, thigh and ankle. The wounds to his left lung and intestines were fatal.

The police officers as required by law were later breathalysed and the results negative.

Thus another one bites the dust...

May I reiterate: In the absence of CULTURAL LITERACY, descendants of Chattel Slavery have had inaccurate psychosocial assessments as users of alien Mental Care systems. Clinicians persist in their ubiquitous application of Freudian and other theories that have no pertinence to the diverse experience of non Europeans. Further, these foreign theories are all EURO-CENTRIC, thus do not address the cultural sensitivities of patients in so-called mother countries, independent states or colonies.

May the ancestors embrace accepting
Khiel Coppin another victim of the system.