It was two days before Christmas, and Angela Wilkerson was taking pictures — not of cheerful holiday memories, but rather injuries she says her son Ulysses sustained while being handcuffed by police in Troy, Alabama.
The grisly photos show Ulysses, just 17 years old, bloodied with a cracked eye socket and severe swelling on his head and face. His injuries were so severe that he had to be transported to Birmingham for further treatment.
Ulysses's mom deserves to know how her boy suffered such intense violence. Alabamians are owed police accountability. And people the world over need to be assured that Troy, Alabama is a town that doesn't tolerate police abuse.
That's why we are calling on Troy's Chief of Police to:
- Immediately release any police body camera footage that may exist of the incident; and
- Immediately fire the two officers involved in the incident.
The Alabama Bureau of Investigations has opened an investigation into the incident. But such an investigation is no guarantee that Ulysses and his family will see justice. Even in the most outrageous cases of police violence, officers are rarely held accountable.
Please sign this urgent petition now for Ulysses Wilkerson and survivors of police violence everywhere.
