Around the world, the problem of police brutality is finally being recognized and condemned. The mandates of many police forces have been twisted and manipulated by personal biases, and by those in power. Instead of serving as a force to protect the people, they have used their position of authority to oppress and silence.

Let us remember those whose lives have been unfairly cut short by police brutality and violence — the ordinary people who did not have a chance once those in power deemed their lives inconsequential. They have been recorded in numbers and reduced to statistics, chalked up to necessary casualties under the pretext of law and order. It is time we say their names and take a moment of silence to remember their lives. And then we must call for justice. For these lives and the many more unwarranted deaths that remain unknown, we must hold the police forces, and the governments that control them, accountable.

US

George Floyd, 46. Described as a “gentle giant” by family and friends, he moved to Minnesota for a fresh start.  His last words, “I can’t breathe”, have become a rallying cry around the world against racial injustice and police brutality. 

Breonna Taylor, 26. An EMT and first responder described by her mother as someone who loved her family and loved helping people. Killed in her own home on May 30 by police officers doing a drug raid at the wrong house. 

Sean Monterrosa, 22. A humble, kind-hearted young man who was active in his community and passionate about social justice. Murdered by a police officer while on his knees with his hands raised on June 2. 

Botham Jean, 26. “The light in any dark room, an outstanding young man.” Was watching football and eating ice cream at his apartment on September 6, 2018, when he was shot by an off-duty police officer who thought she was walking into her own house. 

Tanisha Anderson, 37. A good student and daughter who dreamed of becoming a broadcast journalist. Slammed onto the pavement and lost her life on November 12, 2014 while being restrained, after her family called 911 for help when she was suffering from a mental health episode.

Australia 

David Dungay, 26. Described as “happy-go-lucky, kind and loving and a true Dunghutti warrier”, and was said to have a talent for poetry. Died in police custody on December 29, 2015 — a few weeks short of being released — restrained by five officers while begging for breath.  

Joyce Clarke, 29. A mother, daughter, sister, and friend who was taken too early. Shot on September 17, 2019, by police who were called for help in relation to her mental health conditions.

Philippines 

Kian delos Santos, 17. A student who had dreams of becoming a police officer. Murdered on August 16, 2017, while coming home from working in his family’s store, with the police claiming he was involved in drug operations. His last words: “Please let me go, I have an exam tomorrow.”

Carl Arnaiz, 19. A beloved son who did not like house chores, but was responsible with his obligations; A funny and well-liked classmate who was one of the best in his class. Killed on August 18, 2017 while out to buy snacks, the police officers who shot him citing “aggression that necessitated deadly force” as the reason for his death. He was found with a gun and packets of marijuana and shabu, suspiciously planted on his person by the police. 

Myca Ulpina, 3. “She had more gunshot wounds than the years she had lived in this world,” said her mother. Caught in the crossfire while the police raided their home, alleging drug charges against her father on June 30, 2019. Labeled as “collateral damage” by the police department. 

Paquito Mejos, 53. A father of five who turned himself in and was willing to undergo rehabilitation for drug use. Killed by gunmen on October 14, 2016 in his house, planted with a gun and a packet of drugs at the scene. 

Israel

Iyad Halak, 32 years old. A Palestinian man who liked watching cartoons, dressing up and wearing cologne, and volunteering at the kitchen of his special needs school. Killed on May 30, while walking to school after being mistakenly identified as an attacker. 

Solomon Tekah, 18 years old. A loving son and brother. Shot on July 7, 2019 by an off-duty cop while he was hanging out with friends at a playground. 

Yehuda Biadga, 24 years old. Served in the Israeli army and was suffering from PTSD. Killed on January 18, 2019 by a police officer, after his family asked for help in locating him. 

Mahdi Sa’adi, 20 years old. Shot while riding a motorcycle, mistakenly suspected of being involved in a shooting incident on July 30, 2017. 

Brazil 

João Pedro Matos Pinto, 14. A dedicated son who had dreams of becoming a top lawyer. Shot on May 18 during a “botched drug raid”. 

Brayan Mattos dos Santos, 19. A student full of dreams. He was studying to take an entrance exam to study Civil or Mechanical Engineering while working as a driver to earn money for college. Hit by a bullet on May 17 during a drug raid on a store near where he was buying clothes for a party. 

Rodrigo Cerqueira, 19. Described by his teachers as “a wonderful boy who always sat in the front row and participated in all the activities”. Killed on May 21 when the police opened fire on a group distributing food packages in the area. The police say Rodrigo had a pistol and drugs and was a suspect. He had no criminal record. 

South Africa

Collins Khosa, 41. Father of five. He was always dancing since he was a child, he was always making everyone around him happy, and he hated fighting. Murdered by assault during lockdown on April 10 when soldiers found beer in his yard. 

Sibusiso Amos, 40. “The ideal uncle.” He woke up at 4:30 to clean the yard and make sure that the gate was open for his nieces and nephews to go to school. Shot while unarmed at the veranda of his home on March 29 while law enforcement was conducting lockdown operations. 

In almost all of these cases, there is still no justice for the deceased. Conflicting accounts were given by the police officers involved and witnesses, cover-ups were made to justify the use of excessive force, and little accountability was demanded from the police.

In every country, there is prejudice against “lower” classes of people — the racial profiling of Black people in the US and in South Africa, and of Ethiopian Jews and Palestinian Arabs in Israel; the apparent disregard for the life of Aboriginal Australians under custody; the disproportionate killings of the poor in the war against drugs in the Philippines and in Brazil. These prejudices, when ingrained in the people with loaded guns tasked to “protect”, lead to unnecessary deaths. These names represent only a small fraction of all the known deaths by police brutality. There are hundreds of thousands of others who were murdered. How many have to die before we realize that these deaths are not isolated cases? They did not die because they were guilty. Many of them have not even committed the crimes they were accused of. They died because of corrupt and broken systems. The system by which police officers are trained has to change, and the larger system of discrimination and racism that is embedded in cultures has to be dismantled.