Unarmed black teen William Chapman, killed by police officer who just came off suspension for killing.
On April 22, the Portsmouth, Virginia, Police Department claimed that 18-year-old William Chapman was suspected of shoplifting from a local Walmart. Completely unarmed, he was shot in the face and killed by an officer with a record so heinous that it is criminal he was ever allowed on the force in the first place.
In a powerful report written by Jon Swaine of The Guardian, it’s made abundantly clear that Chapman’s mother has not only been stonewalled for answers, the local Walmart actually called the police on her when she came to the store days later to ask exactly what they are claiming her son stole. They wouldn’t give her any answers either.
The officer who killed Chapman is Stephen Rankin, who had been suspended from street patrol for nearly three years after he killed another unarmed man.
In addition to this suspension and warnings from his superiors that he was likely to cause harm, Rankin had also been suspended for posting Nazi-inspired images and messages online. How can anyone with such a record be allowed to be in public service?
Sallie Chapman, the mother of William Chapman, is seeking funds for his burial expenses. Please donate here
Here is a video of his mother speaking about her loss and the injustice done to her family.
If you can’t donate, please at least help spread this link. I’ve barely seen anything about William Chapman on Tumblr or Twitter yet he was killed in April.
