Adam Johnson: A Life Cut Short – He Could Have Been Your Son (Or Mine) – He Should Be Here Today

One fleeting moment. What can transpire in just a single second? The tragic fate of Adam Johnson.

Adam Johnson, a 13-year-old seventh grader from Chicago, was shot and killed by police in an instant on March 29th. His death has sparked headlines: Chicago Police Release Footage of Officer Shooting Boy, What You Need to Know About Adam Johnson’s Shooting, Remembering Adam Johnson. These headlines, so painfully familiar, almost begin to feel like mundane news. But we cannot allow this to become our norm. Each time we see these stories, we must remember: Something is profoundly wrong. Adam Johnson should still be alive.

Reports indicated that Adam was seen “holding a weapon” at one point during the encounter with police. Prosecutors asserted that gun residue was found on his hand. Initially, they claimed he had fired at the police — a statement that was later proven completely false following the release of the body camera footage.

However, regardless of whether he had a weapon, nothing justifies the police shooting him.

When I learned about the imminent release of the police bodycam footage, I promised myself I wouldn’t watch it. After witnessing the harrowing testimonies and images from Derek Chauvin’s trial, I couldn’t bear to see another video portraying the loss of a life. But curiosity got the better of me.

I watched it, unprepared for the horror that unfolded, much like the devastation I felt when I witnessed George Floyd’s murder. I viewed the footage multiple times, tears streaming down my face, repeatedly asking myself: What transpired?

A 21-year-old man, Lee Thompson, was arrested at the scene, his shirt absent and breathless, taken into custody at 2:45 AM. Meanwhile, police attempted to revive Adam, who lay motionless on the ground, unresponsive.

Now a mother will never embrace her child again, and an entire community is left in mourning. We find ourselves once more as a nation grappling with the reality of a person of color losing their life at the hands of law enforcement.

Did the officers consider their actions? Did they contemplate the consequences of discharging their weapons? Did they recognize they were employing deadly force against a middle schooler, a mere 13-year-old boy?

In the video, I witnessed a child—one who complied with orders, who stopped, turned, and froze—before hearing the officer’s gunfire.

Police union attorney Mike Harris held a press conference on behalf of Officer Reed, the shooter. He stated: “The juvenile had a firearm in his right hand, was given verbal commands, and when instructed to drop it and stop, he began to turn.”

“At that moment, (the officer) had no cover or concealment; he was left with no choice. He feels terrible about what happened. No police officer desires to use deadly force in the line of duty. He believed he acted within the justification for using deadly force, yet he feels awful,” he elaborated.

I am fixated on a particular phrase from his statement: No police officer wants to use deadly force in the line of duty.

But they do, Mr. Union Attorney. They do. They are using deadly force to alarmingly disproportionate degrees against Black and Brown individuals.

In the footage, you can hear the transformation in the officer’s voice following the fatal shots. He sounds frightened, rushing in, calling for an ambulance, attempting to resuscitate Adam with CPR. But it was already too late. His actions had already cost Adam Johnson his life. Adam, a child, was declared dead at 2:46 AM.

This repetition of tragedy continues, our conversations persist, yet change remains elusive. Excessive force by police often leads to needless fatalities. Officers react in the moment rather than thinking first, and that needs to be reversed. Officer Reed made a choice. The question he should have asked was: Do I want to kill this child? Had he chosen otherwise, Adam would still be alive today.

I’ve expressed this after the deaths of George Floyd, Eric Garner, and Daunte Wright — we should all feel outraged. This situation affects us all. Our nation is facing a crisis as severe as COVID-19, with lives being senselessly lost each day. Racism is a pandemic too. Black and Brown lives do matter, but when will law enforcement acknowledge this?

Mr. Officer, will you choose to save a life? Next time, Ms. Officer, will you call for backup and maintain your composure? Will you recognize that every life holds value?

We need police officers who will make the right decision every single time. Our lives depend on it, and so do the lives of our children.

If you’re looking for more insightful content, check out our piece on Black Flowers, which discusses important topics surrounding home insemination and the journey to parenthood. For authoritative information on the subject, visit Make a Mom, and for additional resources, Kindbody provides excellent guidance on pregnancy and home insemination.

Summary

The tragic shooting of 13-year-old Adam Johnson by police has once again highlighted the ongoing issue of excessive force used against people of color. Despite claims that Adam was armed, the justification for using deadly force remains questionable. The aftermath of this incident serves as a painful reminder of the urgent need for change in law enforcement practices, emphasizing the importance of valuing every life.