TLC member Tionne ‘T-Boz’ Watkins is demanding justice after police officers shot and killed her cousin.
Eddie Russell, Jr., 25, died outside of his home in Peoria, Illinois, last Wednesday, after being riddled with 18 bullets by officers.
T-Boz, 47, and other members of Russell’s family insist he suffered from mental health problems and posed no threat to officers.
“My Cousin Was Shot 18 Times Including the Face and Back of His Head! He Harmed NO ONE EVER,” T-Boz wrote on Instagram. “He Had Mental Health Issues AND THE COPS KNEW THAT! Anything he’s ever Done Was minor (sic) and NON VIOLENT!”
Officers claim Russell was a suspect in an armed bank robbery incident. In a statement posted Facebook, Peoria Police Department officials stated that he was shot after he, “emerged from his home and aggressively advanced toward SRT (Special reaction team) officers with a handgun.”
Police also claim the gun Russell was allegedly carrying when he was shot matches the description of the firearm used by the suspect during the robbery.
T-Boz says the police are lying, insisting he was not in possession of a gun. She urges fans to spread the word about the incident to help Russell’s family hold officers accountable for his death.
The shooting comes on the heels of NFL players taking a knee in the protesting of police brutality of African Americans. President Donald Trump claims they are disrespecting the flag by kneeling, taking away the real reason for the protest, but this is the same guy who told the police to rough up criminals.
Read T-Boz’s full message below:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BZcX0jvHdDv/?taken-by=therealtboz
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