The Killing of Lindani Myeni (US)

hawley

KwaZulu-Natal Social Development MEC Nonhlanhla Khoza demanded justice for the shooting of Lindani Myeni, allegedly by US police, adding that the US government should "hang its head in shame" as it had become a slaughter house for black people.

Myeni's body arrived at Johannesburg's OR Tambo International Airport on Saturday. A prayer session was held at the airport.
"The hostility displayed by the trigger-happy Honolulu police has revived wounds," she said.

"Today we are supposed to celebrate Workers' Day, instead we are here at OR Tambo, mourning our son of the soil whose shining light was diminished by the brutal hands of policemen."

She added:

This is a sad indictment on Americans that their country continues to be associated with senseless murder of black people by their police. The murder of our son has reminded us of the trans-Atlantic slave trade and public lynching of black people in America, and South Africa's recent past when black people suffered untold brutality at the hands of an apartheid regime and its security forces. The time has come to be vocal and condemning the [violence] of the police who kill people of black descent."
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.news24.com/amp/news24/southafrica/news/lindani-myeni-death-us-government-should-hang-its-head-in-shame-says-mec-khoza-20210501

It would be good to see major states put pressure on the U.S. over the behavior of their police force. This is a civil rights issue, the only way it can be solved is if trading partners of the U.S. take a stand against police brutality.

Ronaldinho

Myeni had entered a home, sat down and taken off his shoes, prompting the scared occupants to call 911, Honolulu Police Department Chief Susan Ballard said Thursday.

Honolulu police have released body camera footage showing when officers deployed a stun gun on a Black man and fatally shot him while responding to a call about an alleged burglary.

The footage, though dark and shaky, shows officers struggle with the suspect, use a Taser on him and shoot him three times, all in less than a minute.

When the first officer arrived at the scene around 8:10 p.m., a distraught woman is heard outside the house telling the officer, "That's him." Myeni is seen in the footage getting out of a car and walking toward the officer. Another officer is heard in body camera footage ordering the man to "get on the ground," but Myeni did not appear to comply.

Instead of getting on the ground, Myeni turned and charged at the first officer who arrived on the scene and punched him several times, Ballard said.

The second officer tried to get the suspect off his peer, while a third officer arrived at the scene and deployed his Taser on the target, but it was ineffective, Ballard said. The suspect then charged toward the officer who used the Taser, the chief added.

The first officer on the scene then fired a single round, but it's not clear if it hit anyone.

"Officer two then fired three rounds at the suspect, and the suspect then fell to the ground," Ballard said. "This all happened in less than one minute" from the first officer arriving.

The suspect was transported to a hospital in critical condition and later died.

Myeni had no criminal record and no weapons on him, police said. The Honolulu Medical Examiner's Officer identified Myeni and ruled his death a homicide.

His wife, Lindsay, opened up on her heartbreak and denounced the shooting, telling ABC Honolulu affiliate KITV: "He was gentle and loving, and the best father and husband I could've asked for. There's no reason this should have happened. I'm white and I guarantee he would not have been shot had he been white. This is ridiculous."

"Obviously, he wouldn't burglarize. ... We have money. We have everything we need. We're not looking for anything," she said to Hawaii News Now. "He wanted to talk to them for some reason. It says he took off his shoes. I'm sure he did that as a sign of respect."

She said he is from the Zulu Kingdom, a nation in South Africa, and believes his actions may have been misinterpreted.

"In Zulu culture you can go to anyone's house. You can knock on anyone's door. It doesn't matter if its 9 o'clock -- it's not a big deal. Neighbors are neighbors," she said.

JaCrispy

hawley wrote: »

KwaZulu-Natal Social Development MEC Nonhlanhla Khoza demanded justice for the shooting of Lindani Myeni, allegedly by US police, adding that the US government should "hang its head in shame" as it had become a slaughter house for black people.

Myeni's body arrived at Johannesburg's OR Tambo International Airport on Saturday. A prayer session was held at the airport.
"The hostility displayed by the trigger-happy Honolulu police has revived wounds," she said.

"Today we are supposed to celebrate Workers' Day, instead we are here at OR Tambo, mourning our son of the soil whose shining light was diminished by the brutal hands of policemen."

She added:

This is a sad indictment on Americans that their country continues to be associated with senseless murder of black people by their police. The murder of our son has reminded us of the trans-Atlantic slave trade and public lynching of black people in America, and South Africa's recent past when black people suffered untold brutality at the hands of an apartheid regime and its security forces. The time has come to be vocal and condemning the [violence] of the police who kill people of black descent."
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.news24.com/amp/news24/southafrica/news/lindani-myeni-death-us-government-should-hang-its-head-in-shame-says-mec-khoza-20210501

It would be good to see major states put pressure on the U.S. over the behavior of their police force. This is a civil rights issue, the only way it can be solved is if trading partners of the U.S. take a stand against police brutality.

Was the killing racially motivated?

hawley

JaCrispy wrote: »

Was the killing racially motivated?

It seems like they automatically assumed the worst because there was a black man involved. They escalated the situation way too quickly. Even the homeowner's response was over the top. His wife is suing the Hawaiian police force.

Ronaldinho

hawley wrote: »

. Even the homeowner's response was over the top.

How would you advise your mother/wife/sister/daughter to act if a total stranger entered their house?

Laurenf35

Ronaldinho wrote: »

How would you advise your mother/wife/sister/daughter to act if a total stranger entered their house?

Tell them to make him a sammich

7,000 miles. Siri tells me.

RulesOfNature

Ronaldinho wrote: »

How would you advise your mother/wife/sister/daughter to act if a total stranger entered their house?

Wake me up when breakfast is ready

biko

You'd think this was an American forum.

hawley

Attorneys representing the family of the man shot and killed by police April 14 are trying to question the woman who called 911, her husband and the owner of the home where 29-year old Lindani Myeni died following a fight with three police offers responding to a burglary call.

Attorneys James J. Bickerton and Bridget G. Morgan-Bickerton filed the lawsuit April 22 against the three officers and the city, claiming wrongful death, negligence and assault and battery. The suit alleges that Myeni peacefully conversed with the Wangs and left the property. Police officers initiated the fight by aggressively ordering him to the ground with flashlights in his face and guns drawn without identifying themselves as law enforcement.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.staradvertiser.com/2021/05/04/hawaii-news/myeni-familys-attorneys-want-to-query-occupants-owner-of-home/amp/

He had already left the property when the cops arrived. The homeowner was shouting where he was. In South Africa it's common to call to other people's houses with prior notice.

JaCrispy

hawley wrote: »

It seems like they automatically assumed the worst because there was a black man involved.

Conjecture overload.

biko

hawley wrote: »

In South Africa it's common to call to other people's houses with prior notice.

That depends. SA has a massive home invasion problem and many people lock their houses, have gates and window bars, and have guns.
But yes, with prior notice people do call around, just like any other country.

Confused11811

I don't see the problem here. The police responded to a call from a woman who was clearly distressed , there was a stranger in HER house uninvited. The man acted aggressively towards the police and assaulted one when they arrived.

All the statements about Zulu culture are BS, he wasn't in Africa. He was in America and should have acted like he was in America, where if you enter somebodies home uninvited don't expect to leave alive.

If his was some white bloke who entered the house and assaulted the police and was killed there would not be any fuss.

hawley

biko wrote: »

That depends. SA has a massive home invasion problem and many people lock their houses, have gates and window bars, and have guns.
But yes, with prior notice people do call around, just like any other country.

I meant to say it's common to call over to people's houses without prior notice. He might not have understood the culture in America.

ceadaoin.

hawley wrote: »

He had already left the property when the cops arrived. The homeowner was shouting where he was. In South Africa it's common to call to other people's houses with prior notice.

In South Africa its common to shoot people who come in to your home uninvited. I remember seeing some documentary where in addition to bars on all the outside windows and doors, they have security gates inside the home to secure the sleeping areas at night time also. The idea that it's a friendly place where people wander willy nilly into strangers homes is completely ridiculous and even if it was, he wasn't in South Africa but in a country where its not acceptable to do that.

I mean, come on. You wouldn't call the police if a stranger came into your home uninvited? It's not the same as simply "calling over" is it?

I’m just hear to say I couldn’t give a sh1t about some burglar in the good ol u s of a who’s now dead.

If it wasn’t for the fact that, once again, Hawley has started a thread with a click bait title, I wouldn’t be posting here at all. How many is that in the past week, hawley, three? I don’t remember any of the names either, oh well.

Unfollow

biko

hawley wrote: »

I meant to say it's common to call over to people's houses without prior notice. He might not have understood the culture in America.

Lindani Myeni is from Empangeni, one of the most dangerous towns in SA.
He would be well aware of police and what they can do.

This all reeks of some mental episode. An autopsy should reveal if there is drugs in his system.

Danzy

An enjoyable op, theatrical and funny in equal measure.

Congrats.

As for the violent home Invader who staked a woman, broke in to her house. Attached 4 cops. Injuring all, hospitalizing 1, another with severe concussion before his predatory rampage was stopped.

That worked out well for women in the locality and one especially, not just a good day for society.

Danzy

hawley wrote: »

I meant to say it's common to call over to people's houses without prior notice. He might not have understood the culture in America.

In South Africa he would have been shot long before it, the roughest part of America is a Pleasure compared to where he was from.

I wonder had he stalked and attacked women there. He won't be doing that again.

Marcos

biko wrote: »

You'd think this was an American forum.

Perhaps there should be a dedicated thread for all these US policing deaths/murders/incidents/whatever term people wish to use?

TrangiaCoffee

JaCrispy wrote: »

Was the killing racially motivated?

This one is a real juicy one with the African name and being black. They will get a lot of mileage with this one.

UrbanFret

The homeowner should have shot him long before the police were called.

gw80

hawley wrote: »

KwaZulu-Natal Social Development MEC Nonhlanhla Khoza demanded justice for the shooting of Lindani Myeni, allegedly by US police, adding that the US government should "hang its head in shame" as it had become a slaughter house for black people.

Myeni's body arrived at Johannesburg's OR Tambo International Airport on Saturday. A prayer session was held at the airport.
"The hostility displayed by the trigger-happy Honolulu police has revived wounds," she said.

"Today we are supposed to celebrate Workers' Day, instead we are here at OR Tambo, mourning our son of the soil whose shining light was diminished by the brutal hands of policemen."

She added:

This is a sad indictment on Americans that their country continues to be associated with senseless murder of black people by their police. The murder of our son has reminded us of the trans-Atlantic slave trade and public lynching of black people in America, and South Africa's recent past when black people suffered untold brutality at the hands of an apartheid regime and its security forces. The time has come to be vocal and condemning the [violence] of the police who kill people of black descent."
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.news24.com/amp/news24/southafrica/news/lindani-myeni-death-us-government-should-hang-its-head-in-shame-says-mec-khoza-20210501

It would be good to see major states put pressure on the U.S. over the behavior of their police force. This is a civil rights issue, the only way it can be solved is if trading partners of the U.S. take a stand against police brutality.

Anastasios tsakos.
Theres a name for you, look it up

Strumms

Ronaldinho wrote: »

How would you advise your mother/wife/sister/daughter to act if a total stranger entered their house?

If a stranger ends up IN my house...” hi, how can I help you today ? ” Won’t be my reaction

Gaoth Laidir

TrangiaCoffee wrote: »

This one is a real juicy one with the African name and being black. They will get a lot of mileage with this one.

Lewis Hamilton is doing up a t-shirt as we speak.

whisky_galore

Shot because of a culture of calling to random houses and making yourself at home is doing some heavy lifting here.

Strumms

UrbanFret wrote: »

The homeowner should have shot him long before the police were called.

Even here you can use force to defend your property and yourself.

When I was about 12 somebody tried to break into our house... I woke up to a noise , my dad did too, I heard him going down stairs with his bat a bang of a door getting hit then voices as he turned on the light, a car door banging and driving off.

Called the Gardai, my dad asked the detective what he should do or could do and the Garda said, if you seriously hurt them on the ground floor of your property, it depends, court and or attending Gardai may not look favorably but....if they come upstairs, my advice is to fück them head first back down it, no question... they are then not just committing a break in they are knowing to them, attempting to access a sleeping area where there are people, yourself, wife and children asleep at 3am. He tried to attack you and in the skirmish he fell, end of...

I always remembered that and however true it might be in today’s limp waisted moral mud-bath #neversupportthevictim2021 I’d be viewing it as the best way of self preservation...

jam_mac_jam

hawley wrote: »

It seems like they automatically assumed the worst because there was a black man involved. They escalated the situation way too quickly. Even the homeowner's response was over the top. His wife is suing the Hawaiian police force.

The home owner assumed the worst? Because there was a man she didn't know was in her house.

What should she have done? Made him tea?

No matter what colour a strange man is in my house I am ringing the police. And if a strange man is in your house then you would be wise to assume the worst.

Whatever about the police we don't know that yet. You cannot blame the homeowner.

Dyr

Quite funny to see South Africa lecturing the US on police killings, SA police kill three times more people than the US

Oddly enough that seems to fly under Hawleys radar, I guess geography is an important factor in what black lives matter

nullzero

jam_mac_jam wrote: »

The home owner assumed the worst? Because there was a man she didn't know was in her house.

What should she have done? Made him tea?

No matter what colour a strange man is in my house I am ringing the police. And if a strange man is in your house then you would be wise to assume the worst.

Whatever about the police we don't know that yet. You cannot blame the homeowner.

She should have asked if she was making him feel oppressed and was he there to take her home from her as per the BLM give white houses to black people initiative.

Strumms

jam_mac_jam wrote: »

The home owner assumed the worst? Because there was a man she didn't know was in her house.

What should she have done? Made him tea?

No matter what colour a strange man is in my house I am ringing the police. And if a strange man is in your house then you would be wise to assume the worst.

Whatever about the police we don't know that yet. You cannot blame the homeowner.

Yep, my last concern is going to be their ethnicity...

First concern my safety and that of my loved ones, they break in they are not there to get your recipe book to make beef stroganoff.

Mysterypunter

Thread should be called man up to no good gets shot.

hawley

Lindani's funeral took place today in South Africa. Seems like the U.S. authorities want this to go away.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.news24.com/amp/news24/southafrica/news/he-was-a-pure-soul-lindani-myeni-remembered-by-friends-and-family-20210506
Delivering a message of support via KZN Premier Sihle Zikalala, Myeni's Hawaiian friend, Bello Silitshena, who was also instrumental in the fundraising process to repatriate his body, said he considered Myeni an innocent.

"Lindani was a pure soul. In addition to all his talents, he had a big heart. He was very selfless."

Silitshena told a story of how he and Myeni were both waiting on US immigration for paperwork.

"I was waiting on my citizenship, while he was waiting on his work permit. We were both frustrated with waiting, but when I got my citizenship, he was the first person to congratulate me wholeheartedly."

Even though he hadn't gotten his paperwork yet, he made it a point to drive out to the suburbs that very day, so we could celebrate. We hugged, he sang beautifully, and we celebrated."

He said it was an example of Myeni's goodness.

"He celebrated my success in the face of his waiting. He spent the night at my house. He just had a great way to make you feel good. And he was like that with everyone. His family. His friends. I'm honoured to have known him."


Myeni was shot and killed by Hawaiian police in April. SA authorities have been struggling to get the entire footage of the incident which led to his fatal shooting.

Zikalala slammed US authorities and called on President Joe Biden and former president Barack Obama to intervene in the matter.

wicklowstevo

so any update on why he was wandering around some one else house and refused to comply when confronted or is that only for white people now ?

and dont give me that its a cultural thing. any adult knows that in south africa he would have been killed by the householder long before the police got there and likely again when they did

BS story from family and another bs race baiting thread for boards

Ronaldinho

hawley wrote: »

Lindani's funeral took place today in South Africa. Seems like the U.S. authorities want this to go away.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.news24.com/amp/news24/southafrica/news/he-was-a-pure-soul-lindani-myeni-remembered-by-friends-and-family-20210506
Delivering a message of support via KZN Premier Sihle Zikalala, Myeni's Hawaiian friend, Bello Silitshena, who was also instrumental in the fundraising process to repatriate his body, said he considered Myeni an innocent.

"Lindani was a pure soul. In addition to all his talents, he had a big heart. He was very selfless."

Silitshena told a story of how he and Myeni were both waiting on US immigration for paperwork.

"I was waiting on my citizenship, while he was waiting on his work permit. We were both frustrated with waiting, but when I got my citizenship, he was the first person to congratulate me wholeheartedly."

Even though he hadn't gotten his paperwork yet, he made it a point to drive out to the suburbs that very day, so we could celebrate. We hugged, he sang beautifully, and we celebrated."

He said it was an example of Myeni's goodness.

"He celebrated my success in the face of his waiting. He spent the night at my house. He just had a great way to make you feel good. And he was like that with everyone. His family. His friends. I'm honoured to have known him."


Myeni was shot and killed by Hawaiian police in April. SA authorities have been struggling to get the entire footage of the incident which led to his fatal shooting.

Zikalala slammed US authorities and called on President Joe Biden and former president Barack Obama to intervene in the matter.

Nice b8 m8

hawley

hawley wrote: »

Lindani's funeral took place today in South Africa. Seems like the U.S. authorities want this to go away.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.news24.com/amp/news24/southafrica/news/he-was-a-pure-soul-lindani-myeni-remembered-by-friends-and-family-20210506
Delivering a message of support via KZN Premier Sihle Zikalala, Myeni's Hawaiian friend, Bello Silitshena, who was also instrumental in the fundraising process to repatriate his body, said he considered Myeni an innocent.

"Lindani was a pure soul. In addition to all his talents, he had a big heart. He was very selfless."

Silitshena told a story of how he and Myeni were both waiting on US immigration for paperwork.

"I was waiting on my citizenship, while he was waiting on his work permit. We were both frustrated with waiting, but when I got my citizenship, he was the first person to congratulate me wholeheartedly."

Even though he hadn't gotten his paperwork yet, he made it a point to drive out to the suburbs that very day, so we could celebrate. We hugged, he sang beautifully, and we celebrated."

He said it was an example of Myeni's goodness.

"He celebrated my success in the face of his waiting. He spent the night at my house. He just had a great way to make you feel good. And he was like that with everyone. His family. His friends. I'm honoured to have known him."


Myeni was shot and killed by Hawaiian police in April. SA authorities have been struggling to get the entire footage of the incident which led to his fatal shooting.

Zikalala slammed US authorities and called on President Joe Biden and former president Barack Obama to intervene in the matter.

Meh tough ****.

gmisk

It's bizarre to try and say this was race related from what I have read.
He followed someone randomly into their house (well air BnB but still no odds), unsurprisingly it freaked her the feck out. She called the cops.
It's not a custom in most countries to follow people into their homes uninvited...no matter what way they soon it.
He then didn't comply with police when they arrived...he then attacked one of them?

hawley

The wife of Lindani Myeni wants to raise her children in South Africa because she does not believe it is safe for black children in the United States.
Lindsay said her plan is to bring her children to South Africa because she believes they could be targeted by police in the US.

"My next steps, honestly, to get help from the SA government... to get me citizenship, so I can stay in my children's home country, without my husband. People think when you're married, citizenship to each other's countries is automatic, but it takes five years each side for him to be a citizen of my country and me of his.

She said that, thus far, the US government and other authorities were not helpful.

"USA government has not given any support, not even a comment, nothing. The mayor in Honolulu also has no response. He knows the police department are in trouble, so I'm guessing there's not much for him to say, without making them look bad.

"We are still suing the Honolulu PD [police department] and waiting for them to give back his cellphone, his clothes, his headband."
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.news24.com/amp/news24/southafrica/news/i-dont-want-to-raise-my-kids-in-america-its-unsafe-lindsay-myeni-wants-sa-citizenship-20210506
There's huge anger in South Africa over this incident. It is being viewed as a racist killing, rightly or wrongly. There was no need to kill him, he was unarmed and maybe disoriented, in a new country. Hopefully his family will rally around her and the kids. It's being compared to Apartheid and Jim Crow.

biko

Is it uncovered whether the police themselves were black, white, native Hawaiians, other?
Or is it just assumed they were white?

hawley

biko wrote: »

Is it uncovered whether the police themselves were black, white, native Hawaiians, other?
Or is it just assumed they were white?

There's no information on the shooters ethnicity. It's not possible to make it out in the bodycam footage. Non white police officers can be biased against black victims too, because of the culture in police enforcement and the U.S. I don't think people realize how big a story this is in South Africa. The South African government want the President to intervene.

hawley

hawley wrote: »

I don't think people realize how big a story this is in South Africa.

It's not that we don't realise. We just don't care.

Man breaks into house. Terrorises female householder. Gets shot.

jam_mac_jam

This hyperbolic reaction does no favours to black lives matter or the families who are suffering because of real police brutality.

All this does is discredit the argument. I am not suprised that this is big news in South Africa because of the completely biased way it is being portrayed.

biko

hawley wrote: »

Non white police officers can be biased against black victims too

The house owner is the victim here, Lindani Myeni is a perpetrator.
He may not have had to be shot (we'll see what courts say), but he's not an innocent victim in all this.

Varik

“Plaintiff alleges that the response by the occupants of the Property was motivated by Mr Myeni’s race and constituted racial discrimination in public accommodation,” the lawsuit alleges.

Don't think that means what they think it does.

wicklowstevo

hawley wrote: »

There's no information on the shooters ethnicity. It's not possible to make it out in the bodycam footage. Non white police officers can be biased against black victims too, because of the culture in police enforcement and the U.S. I don't think people realize how big a story this is in South Africa. The South African government want the President to intervene.

but in this case they were biased against the offender and rightly so

again had he done the same thing is SA he would have been killed by the home owner long before the police got there ,

i really doubt any one but his family give a crap about a foreign criminal getting swift justice

you know it would be great if you could stop trying to race bait

Donald Trump

Culture me hole. Aren't houses in SA very well guarded and householders armed to protect against intruders?
Sure wasn't that Pistorius' excuse for shooting his missus through the door?

Like the way that there is difference in Ireland between having a culture of popping over to your neighbours house and making yourself at home for a chat and a cup of tea and having a culture of unwanted secret visits out to Padraig Nally's house to make yourself at home when he doesn't know you.

jam_mac_jam

Donald Trump wrote: »

Culture me hole. Aren't houses in SA very well guarded and householders armed to protect against intruders?
Sure wasn't that Pistorius' excuse for shooting his missus through the door?

Like the way that there is difference in Ireland between having a culture of popping over to your neighbours house and making yourself at home for a chat and a cup of tea and having a culture of unwanted secret visits out to Padraig Nally's house to make yourself at home when he doesn't know you.

I would be fairly sure the tradition applies to people you know, like your neighbours. Not random houses.

Such rubbish. I looked it up and it was about the 20th link described how he attacked the police and was tasered first.

Every other story is the bad police hunting black people.

hawley

jam_mac_jam wrote: »

I would be fairly sure the tradition applies to people you know, like your neighbours. Not random houses.

Such rubbish. I looked it up and it was about the 20th link described how he attacked the police and was tasered first.

Every other story is the bad police hunting black people.

It's not entirely clear what Lindani was doing. He told the occupant his name and where he was from. That doesn't sound like someone who's going to commit a crime. All he was doing when the cops arrived was walking around outside. It seems like he was on his way back home. His family are suing the Hawaiian police force and it is being compared to Apartheid and Jim Crow in South Africa.

nullzero

hawley wrote: »

It's not entirely clear what Lindani was doing. He told the occupant his name and where he was from. That doesn't sound like someone who's going to commit a crime. All he was doing when the cops arrived was walking around outside. It seems like he was on his way back home. His family are suing the Hawaiian police force and it is being compared to Apartheid and Jim Crow in South Africa.

Somebody walks into your home and tells you their name and they're entitled to stick around and do what they like?

As for South Africa equating this with apartheid? Where's that pac man emoji when you need it?

jam_mac_jam

hawley wrote: »

It's not entirely clear what Lindani was doing. He told the occupant his name and where he was from. That doesn't sound like someone who's going to commit a crime. All he was doing when the cops arrived was walking around outside. It seems like he was on his way back home. His family are suing the Hawaiian police force and it is being compared to Apartheid and Jim Crow in South Africa.

Why not compare it to the Holocaust or the crusades, both are as relevant?

Bob Bop Perono

I'm in South Africa. There is zero outrage over this killing.