Photos: YouTube
New York, NY (June 17, 2021) – Civil Rights leader Rev. Al Sharpton and the National Action Network (NAN) condemn the unexplained killing of Lindani Myeni in Honolulu on April 14.
The newly released video of Myeni’s killing raises serious questions, including why Honolulu Police failed to identify themselves until Myeni lay fatally wounded from shots they fired.
The incident occurred after the South African national and husband and father of U.S. citizens entered a home with rental rooms for vacationers, apparently mistaking it for the house next door being used as a faith temple. Three police officers confronted Mr. Myeni, responding to a 911 “burglary in progress” call from the vacationing guests.
The new video shows the guests and Myeni both nearly simultaneously driving into the home’s U-shaped driveway, entering the house calmly only seconds apart. There is no indication of hostility, burglary, or any other crime that could be attributed to Myeni’s demeanor or actions.
Realizing that he had mistaken the home for the temple next door, Myeni immediately departed, apologizing for his mistake calmly saying, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry.” Less than two minutes after leaving the home and still in its driveway, Myeni is confronted by Honolulu police in the dark of night. One holds a 600-lumen flashlight and gun drawn, shouting at Myeni, “Get on the ground!” A struggle between him and the officers ensues, and Myeni speaks his last words before his killing, “Who are you?” The first word spoken after the last three of the four shots fired by the officers is “Police!”
“I am saddened to be once again contacted by a family and their attorneys seeking justice for the senseless killing at the hands of police, this time on the Hawaiian island of Oahu and contrary to the aloha spirit. Lindani Myeni’s killing is yet another sensational racialization and criminalization of an innocent unarmed Black man at the hands of police not following the law and proper police procedures. The Honolulu Police Department and Hawaii prosecutors must be fully transparent and assertive in pursuing justice, in this case, to ensure that Mr. Myeni’s killing is not yet another disregard of Black lives. Anything other than that would be contrary to the spirit of aloha, which embraces love and respect of all lives, including Black lives. We stand with the Myeni family in their demand that the Honolulu Police release all pertinent information so that they can know what the facts of this case are and seek appropriate justice,” said the Reverend Al Sharpton, President of the National Action Network.
