We're honored to have Veronika Williams and Keanda Young, loved ones of Jamar and Lamonte Thomas, join Naptown People's Radio this week to debunk the IMPD's lies and correct the media's narratives about the March 7 shooting downtown.

Our Naptown Breakdown covers IMPD Patrol Officer Gary Francis Hadden's assault on Noah Leininger, one of the organizers of the anti-ICE protest over the weekend. After an unknown man grabbed Leininger "rudely and insolently" before stealing his microphone, he saw it was a cop. Hadden told Leininger to give his badge number (H8306) and doubled-down when nearby City-County Councilor Jesse Brown asked him to do the same. As an organizer with a decade of experience in the city, Leininger told the cops “I'm sure this is not going to go anywhere. I have I have no faith in this, resulting in any discipline for this guy, but sure, I’ll try.” Hadden tried telling Leininger he needed a permit for the assembly, which wasn’t true. Nor was the demonstration blocking any points of ingress or egress for passersby and the roads were open for pedestrians. It was clearly the topic of the protest that triggered Hadden and his blue line.

There's good reason to keep in the streets against ICE. On April 27, ICE confirmed Tuan Van Bui, a 55-year-old immigrant, died the at the Miami Correctional Facility in Indiana. According to an ABC News analysis of ICE data, this marks the 46th documented death of an immigrant detainee held in federal custody during the first 14 months of the second Trump presidency. We emphasize documented because we have heard from previous show guest Josi "Danny" Ortiz that he has seen his fellow inmates of whatever status rolled out as he was told it was "natural causes."

Our main segment features Stephen Lane, of the Indiana Black Librarians Network and PSL Indianapolis, interviewing Veronika Williams and Keanda Young about the story the police tried to bury and the media made no efforts to contest. The enlightening interview occurred just after the press conference organized by the Thomas family and the Indianapolis Liberation Center on April 2, which was the first time the media heard the truth. Veronika and Keandra came tot he Center to get the truth out there because after the shooting on March 7, one of their loved ones is dead, another is in police custody, and the still-unidentified white man who shot and killed Jamar Thomas is walking the streets as a free man.

The IMPD's narrative is simple: Jamar and Lamonte allegedly tried to rob a man with a gun. The shooter, still unidentified, claimed self-defense. And as a result, Jamar is dead, and Lamonte is locked up. In this interview, Lane dives into the remarkable discrepancies in the IMPD's accounts. We learn their "eyewitnesses" were friends of the shooter (although he met them as early as that night) while Veronika and Keandra affirm that the IMPD made no attempt to get any testimony from the Thomas family. Together, they reveal the numerous reasons why the IMPD's narrative, which the media has up until now parroted, is 100 percent false. Jamar and Lamonte Thomas engaged in an act of bravery against a drunk man brandishing a weapon in downtown Indianapolis at 2:00 am and threatening to "kill whoever." Jamar died a hero, Lamonte remains locked up as a hero, and the real criminal and his conspirators (the IMPD) continue walking the streets with guns and arms. 

Dani gives this week's Circle City Shout Out goes to Sammy Penaloza, the featured artist this month in the Fonseca-Du Bois Art Gallery powered by Arte Mexicano en Indiana. Sammy was born in LA but has called Naptown his home since 2006. He has been painting since childhood and has had his work featured at the Harrison Center. During a time of turmoil within the world as a whole, Sammy’s work challenges us to stay in touch with our humanity–to feel—to confront the things that are hard to put into words and experience them intensely. Come by the Center anytime during open hours to spend time with this beautiful yet demanding body of work.

As always, before wrapping up we mention some upcoming events at the Indy Liberation Center. We encourage you to sign up for our weekly newsletter not only to stay updated but in case we or another member-group have to mobilize our people for another emergency actions, demonstrations, or other interventions.

Events:

The Whispering Shelf and Indy Hope Packages Team Up

Show Notes:

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