Puncture The Silence

Part of the movement to stop mass incarceration and end The New Jim Crow. #BlackLivesMatter [email protected]

[BZ Douglas @bzdug]

This press conference brought together an incredibly diverse set of speakers.

They all believe that Cuyahoga County and the state of Ohio need to seriously address rampant systemic and cultural corruption in our criminal justice system.

https://t.co/HpQwvzaksh

[BZ Douglas @bzdug]

This report on @tonyviola's case has taken me nearly the entire year to produce.

I am very much risking my reputation as a journalist by covering this story of prosecutorial misconduct allegations against Asst @OhioAG Dan Kasaris as forcefully as I am.

https://t.co/NsZOGurx49

[BZ Douglas @bzdug]

For #GivingNewsDay, I'm starting a running thread of the work I've done since I embarked on this career in June of 2020.

Please become a supporter on Patreon or Substack to help me grow my platform and build a team!

https://t.co/6GYXgQX5iK
https://t.co/Q6Ih5u1WDo

[BZ Douglas @bzdug]

This is the first in a series of reports I'll be putting out on Kasaris.

Next up will be @tonyviola's case, the facts of which are as shocking as they are complicated.

I wanted to start with Kelly’s story, which is much simpler but no less damning.

[BZ Douglas @bzdug]

Kasaris has gone on to have a very successful career.

Not only is he an assistant state attorney general, but he is currently running for the Ward 6 city council seat in North Royalton, Ohio.

(He's also admin of the largest FB group I could find for that city)

[BZ Douglas @bzdug]

This compounded the already disturbing nature of Kelly’s allegations, and begged the question:

If Dan Kasaris was willing to cover up a crime to protect a family member, would he be equally willing to cover up other crimes to protect police?

[BZ Douglas @bzdug]

In Dec. of 2020, I had conducted an interview @PTS_CLE with the father of Desmond Franklin, who was shot and killed by off-duty Cleveland police officer Jose Garcia.

Kasaris was the special prosecutor who presented the investigation into Garcia’s actions to the grand jury.

[BZ Douglas @bzdug]

An admin of the archive followed up with her, and learned the name of the prosecutor.

Kasaris' name was significant to myself and @PTS_CLE due to a recent story we'd been tracking: The killing of Desmond Franklin.

https://t.co/19LMIWj6Ej

[BZ Douglas @bzdug]

This all goes back to a story that was posted in @PTS_CLE's People's Archive of Police Violence on 1/20/21. The entry was summarized as follows:

"Victim of spousal assault describes prosecutor abandoning her case because the perpetrator was the brother of the prosecutor."

[BZ Douglas @bzdug]

Disturbing allegations concerning Asst @OhioAG Dan Kasaris, going back to his time as @CuyahogaCounty prosecutor in 09.

According to @yogamamakp, he covered up domestic abuse committed by his brother (her ex) as well as a grow operation.

Full Report: https://t.co/N1dfga4Mpf

[Ayat Amin @ayatforcle3]

Over the past week I have heard troubling rhetoric against Issue 24.

Not only have police and councilors been using fear mongering language, but some of the criticisms are false.

So I want to break down what is fact & fiction here

A🧵:

[State of Injustice @StateInjustice]

Cleveland voters need to know just how dirty opponents of Issue 24 are playing, and how false their talking points are.

There is an intensely dishonest propaganda campaign being waged by police and their apologists that must be aggressively countered.

https://t.co/41UJnvbqHc

[State of Injustice @StateInjustice]

Last, but certainly not least is Brenda Bickerstaff, a private investigator and activist. Her brother Craig was shot in the back by Cleveland police in 2002.

She also spoke at the @PTS_CLE tribunal on his death, and police intimidation she has faced.
https://t.co/BbqfOvMbZZ

[State of Injustice @StateInjustice]

The next family member strongly advocating for Issue 24 that Jackson disrespected is Alicia Kirkman.

She lost her son Angelo Miller to Cleveland police in 2007. Here she is telling the story at @PTS_CLE People's Tribunal in 2015.

https://t.co/TKWGbd0NeY

[State of Injustice @StateInjustice]

Often times, our meetings with @BLM_216 would be interrupted by an urgent call with a police violence victim's family they are getting money to, helping someone navigate Cuyahoga County's frightening jail system, or taking organizer calls.

In two words: Not pimping.

[State of Injustice @StateInjustice]

We credit @BLM_216 as "Executive Producers", not because they funded our project, but because they set us in motion (at the request of the Stewart family).

After producing this pilot episode, we crowdfunded the cost of two more, and gave BLMCle 10%.

https://t.co/LNjFrVVb2m

[State of Injustice @StateInjustice]

The mayor also slandered LaTonya Goldsby (@msgoldsby74), president of @BLM_216 and board member of @SaferCLE.

We have worked closely with her and BLMCLE, and can attest to this fact: They. Work. For. Families.

[State of Injustice @StateInjustice]

It's no small thing for Samaria to continue fighting at all. Just remaining in the public eye, she must constantly deal with harassment from detractors, not to mention the actual exploiters of tragedy out there.

No one would blame her for being Tired.
https://t.co/isN0K56DDB

[State of Injustice @StateInjustice]

Samaria Rice, mother of Tamir Rice, killed by officer Timothy Loehmann in 2014.

Rice has used her multi-million $ settlement to launch @TamirsCampaign and is investing in Cleveland's Black citizens with the creation of an Afro-cultural center.

[State of Injustice @StateInjustice]

Cleveland's soon-to-be-ex Mayor Frank Jackson called Issue 24 proponents "tragedy pimps" in this interview.

Here is a thread about some of the women working on this initiative who he is insulting with this remark.

@themattrichmond has the full story: https://t.co/sNH5WQ6Rz9