The Indianapolis Liberation Center (ILC) held a press conference on Dec. 21 where a Black man and veteran, for the first time, publicly told the story of the brutality he says he faced at the hands of the Marion County Sheriff’s Department.
Jerome Taylor (aka “Taylor Bey”) spoke about his experience four years ago. He says he was eating dinner at a hospital when he was falsely accused of trespassing. Taylor recalls being arrested with so much force that he was left with “permanent nerve damage,” which still affects his everyday life.
Dr. Derek Ford of DePauw University, one of Taylor’s representatives, shared more details of the night Taylor was arrested in 2019. Taylor ended his shift as a gardener and went to eat a meal at Eskenazi Hospital. Shortly after, two officers approached him, asked if he was on the trespassing list and asked if Taylor was okay. Taylor let the officers know he was not on the trespassing list and was okay.
Shortly after, he was approached by another officer who asked for his ID.
“For Black and other oppressed people, this is an impossible request to fulfill as it serves as an excuse to claim fear for safety,” Ford explained. “But what did Taylor do? He complied, but as he stood up and reached for his ID, he was blindsided by another officer who grabbed him and threw him across the floor.”
Once on the floor, he was handcuffed to a wheelchair while officers reportedly kicked Taylor in the stomach so forcefully, he was in and out of consciousness. Taylor was charged with disorderly conduct, resisting arrest, and trespassing.
What followed was a years-long battle to clear his name and get the justice Taylor says he deserves. Finally, in February of 2022, a Marion County Judge dismissed Taylor’s charges on the grounds of a “good defense,” which Ford translates to “they had no case, and he was innocent,” but the years of damage had already been done.
During his quest for justice, Taylor needed multiple medical appointments, lost work, and spent money he didn’t have on legal services. He continues to struggle with a lack of employment. Taylor says, worst of all, the lasting physical effects of that day restrict him from playing with his grandchildren.
Family members of other victims of police brutality were in attendance to talk about the state’s lack of action to combat this problem.
“We feel, and the stats show, that the system supports officers shooting first with no concern for the human life being taken from men of African descent,” said community member Mmoja Ajabu, who helped bring the families of IMPD victims together.
The ILC introduced their coalition against police violence which aims to further the conversation about police brutality in Marion County. A representative of the coalition covered their next steps in fixing this problem, up to and including legal action.
The coalition intends to continue telling these stories to bring more attention to the issue and demand an end to the brutality affecting the community.
Contact Racial Justice Reporter Garrett Simms at 317-762-7847.