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| Calvon A. Reid |
Talking to Calvin and Mamie Reid is hard on three accounts. I've known them personally for over 40 years; I have two sons of my own; and we all want justice for Calvon.
"Today is better than yesterday," Ms. Reid told me over the telephone. "I just finished listening to Andre's last voicemails. That's all that I have left."
Reid says she's living off prayers. She still believes racism played a major role in her son's death. She said he was treated like an animal. "He had done nothing wrong. He was in perfect health," she said despite information released by the Coconut Grove Police in their press conference. Reid is reported to have died in a Margate, Fla. hospital, approximately 212 miles from Sanford, Fla. where Trayvon Martin was killed.
In an open records request, Wingcom Watchdog received an incident report from the Coconut Creek Police Department. Half of the report was redacted, and there was no narrative attached. The Department said it would not be answering any more questions until an internal investigation was completed. Officers D. Rush and F. Fuentes were listed on the report along with Supervisor D. Freeman. There were no signatures on the report, no mention of the officers involved in the incident, or whether they had been disciplined.
Reid said her attorney will be reviewing the details tomorrow. She lives in an area where Civil Rights Activist Jesse Jackson, Sr. grew up and may be calling him to address the community. Reid wants to get Eric Holder and the U.S. Department of Justice involved.
"They didn't have to kill my son like that," said Reid who is a retired counselor. It is reported that Calvon Reid died at the scene after being blasted by three Taser shots but was pronounced dead two days later at a nearby hospital.
It is unclear whether a person needing medical attention should be tasered. The incident report identifies " Sick Person - Baker Act" which refers to the Florida Mental Health Act of 1971 which requires up to 72 hours of observation.
Here is more information on Andre:
Calvon A. Reid was a graduate of Woodmont High School. Andre enjoyed sports, fishing, music, and his mom's cooking. He was a fantastic salesman with successes throughout the Southern and Eastern regions of the United States.
Andre had a special way with people. He never met a stranger and possessed a charismatic personality that drew others to him.
Andre had two sons, a mom, a dad, and a sister. Many other loving relatives are in his extended family.
Mary P says: My heart goes out to the family of Calvin Reid. I wanted to reply to your blogspot, but didn’t know where to start. I was filled with profound sadness, and the realization of the finality of it is the worst part – a family has been ripped apart, and children left fatherless whether because of prejudice, callousness, ignorance, just plain stupidity, or all of the above, I don’t know, but, unfortunately, it is not an isolated event.
ReplyDeleteI am feeling called to more prayer about this. I recently was talking with someone close to my age, who has always had – and still has – good relationships with the black community, and would like to consider himself “color-blind”, and yet he was using unrepeatable language and talking about how he hated “those Mexicans” who lived in the same trailer court. When I would meet or see any of his neighbors, I saw only hard working family members, and children out playing in the yards. I say I am called to more prayer on this, because I just don’t know how to make a difference in the attitude of a person like this, and I realize I am going to need much guidance, and hence, need to do much more listening to the Lord. :)