As many folks were enjoying Thanksgiving with their families, the three-year anniversary of Jordan Lee’s tragic death at the hands of police went largely unnoticed. He was just a kid playing with a toy gun in Cleveland, Ohio, and each time this date rolls around, I can’t help but think of my own son, who was 11 and so full of life like Jordan when he was taken from us. Now, at 14, I find it even harder to comprehend how the system failed Jordan in every possible way.
As a mom and an attorney, it pains me to see how officials stripped Jordan of his innocence to justify his death. The law, which is supposed to protect us, utterly failed him. If law enforcement could let this happen to Jordan, it could easily happen to any child—including mine.
It seems like a Black child’s innocence is almost non-existent in the eyes of the law. The moment the shots were fired, one officer described Jordan as an adult, saying, “Shots fired, male down. Black male, maybe 20, black revolver…” This mentality persisted even through legal filings, where lawyers suggested that Jordan’s “failure to exercise due care” contributed to his own death. Imagine that—a child being blamed for his own murder.
In a news conference announcing that no one would be held accountable for Jordan’s death, the county prosecutor stated that the boy’s “size made him look much older.” This bizarre reasoning fed into the officer’s fear, leading to tragic results. The prosecutor’s words now feel meaningless, as his insistence on putting himself in the officer’s shoes only highlighted a systemic bias favoring law enforcement.
And let’s not forget that Ohio allows open carry of firearms, which means adults can carry guns publicly. But when it comes to Black children asserting their rights, the rules seem to change dramatically. The Obama administration’s review of the Cleveland Police Department found that investigators often bend over backward to protect their own, making true accountability a rarity.
When I think about how the system failed to protect Jordan, it’s a harsh reminder that any Black or Brown child could be next. Michelle Taylor once said it’s easier to talk to strangers about race and justice in America than to explain it to her own son, who will one day face these harsh realities.
The lessons from Jordan’s story highlight how essential local prosecutors are, how crucial data collection on police behavior can be, and how reforming the standards for police use of force is imperative. The urgency of these issues takes on even more weight given the current administration’s stance against civil rights and the ongoing push for police reform.
In light of this, I can only send my thoughts to Jordan’s family and commit to advocating for systemic changes that will allow all Black children, including my own, to grow up with their innocence intact.
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In summary, the fight for police reform continues, and we must remain vigilant to protect the innocence and rights of all children.
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