Original Post Date
2020-01-14 02:57 PM
Original Body
Kayla Moore’s Story
By Amir Hughes
Tuesday 2020 January 7, we went to a protest for Kayla Moore because she hasn't had justice from the court or from the police, and the family of Kalya Moore is still fighting.
Lisa said “Kayla Moore was trans women.’’ Kayla Moore had a disabally called schizophrenia. her friend called the police because she needed help. But the police was trying arrested her for a warrant that wasn’t in her name, and the police choked her on her futon couch. And her caretaker was there watching her dying.
Six Berkeley police were on Kayla Moore also while she was in handcuffs and the police said that they called the ambulance to help her from dying but it was too late. But the police that killed her haven't got justice for her and haven’t left the police department.
“We don't need cops, we need counselors,” said Mario Moore, her sister. But the police called Kayla Moore a “it.” All this happen in Berkeley.
I could tell she was a wonderful person in her own way and she had family that really love her and her friends too. The protest was in San Francisco by a courthouse. The family of Kayla Moore went in the courthouse to fight for the case.
I could tell at the protest that she was much loved by her family and her friends and she had a big smile on her face that is brighter than the sun. I could see she liked to smile and loved throwing the peace sign up. And that they had T-shirts to support her case and to wear it to get justice.But me my classmates couldn’t go in the courthouse of San Francisco because we needed IDs to go in.
You have to support your people because we all the same here in this world and we are all equal and that why we were put on this earth. But some people say we all different but we are not, we are all human. Kayla Moore was a sweet angel and she has good energy.
And I send my love and anger to the family who lost their loved one. She is now in a better place and she doesn't have to suffer in this place. And we will see her again.
Reports from the DeeColonize Academy Youth Poverty Skolaz.
Kayla Moore Appeal Trial
By Tibu Garcia/PNN
“She had been formally unhoused, she was a poverty scholar, the cops showed up and they tried to get her on a warrant…”, those were the words of Lisa Ganser, a disability activist and a long time member of the Idriss Stelly Foundation, as well as a writer for POOR Magazine, on Kayla Moore, an African-descent, disabled, trans woman who was killed by the police in Berkeley in 2013. “She should have been alive”, she continued, shaking her head, most likely recalling how Kayla was murdered during a schizophrenic episode in her own home. On February 12th, 2013, Berkeley Police responded to a 9-1-1 call from John Hayes, Moore’s roommate, because he was concerned for her mental state after she got into an argument with her girlfriend, Angel. He called the police because he was aware that Berkeley Police Department (BPD) has done welfare checks on her in the past, and they told more to voluntarily seek help with the BPD.
When the police arrived, they came in planning to arrest Hayes and Moore for outstanding warrants. John Hayes had warrants equaling to 5,000 USD and a certain Xavier Moore from San Francisco, (Xavier Moore being Kayla’s birth name). The only problem with the warrant for Xavier Moore is this Moore was born in 1952, which would make him 20 years older than Kayla. The police charged in the building without knowing or caring about any of this. They restrained Hayes and began to wrestle with an increasingly hysterical Kayla, and immediately called for backup as Kayla was, according to the police report, “resisting arrest”. Officer Brown, one of the arresting officers, stated in his report that he was aware Kayla Moore had mental health issues.
The officers handcuffed Kayla, and restrained her with the WRAP police restraining gear, and then they thought their job was done. When they noticed she wasn't breathing, they took off her restraints, did some chest compressions, then waited for the EMT to come and resuscitate her. No officers claimed to assist or restore her breathing in any way.
Seven years later, on the brisk morning of Thursday, January 9th, a press conference took place in front of the United State Court for the 9th Circuit, and attending that press conference was Deecolonize Academy. I was a part of the youth poverty skolas we had on the scene, standing in solidarity and in honor of Kayla Moore, and in support of her family in their lawsuit against the city for using excessive force and acting on a false warrant, as well as violating BPD’s own Americans with Disabilities Act Policy by using force in an arrest where the “suspect” had a mental disability.
“People should not be afraid to call for mental help assistance,” said Maria Moore, sister to Kayla Moore, “if someone is in crisis, you shouldn't be like, I can’t call and get you help because I don't want something to happen to you, because that is a typical story that happens. We don't need cops, we need counselors.” Maria has fought for justice for her sister tirelessly in court, on the streets and online since her sister was killed. As I have been doing more and more research about this case and the people involved, I have seen how much effort and time that this amazing and powerful woman has put into getting justice for her sister and other victims of police brutality.
It is horrifying to me now as it was then to hear about a black, trans woman be killed when she needed help. She did nothing wrong, she was only scared for her life and terrified of the six officers that were crowding and pushing and suffocating her for absolutely no reason. Kayla had just argued with her girlfriend, after dealing with something like that, I would assume someone has a decent amount of sadness and frustration in them, and when all those officers showed up with an agenda to arrest it didn't make the situation any better.
This case was similar in a way to how NYPD murdered Eric Garner, by suffocating him and refusing to get him breathing again, and the very fact that there is someone else to compare her to, that another person and probably many others that I do not know of, lost their lives by being literally crushed by 6 or more officers, crying and screaming for help yet being killed by the very people who swore an oath to serve and protect, the fact that when talking about cases involving police violence I can state 50-60 off of memory, the fact that I am able to do that means something is fundamentally wrong with the system that governs over us. There is something fundamentally wrong with how this government treats a specific class of its citizens. People like Luis Gongora Pat, Oscar Grant, Eric Garner, Kayla Moore, and so, so many others that I couldn't mention all of them even if I wrote an entire book, are just obstacles to this great, free nation known as the United States of America.
Kayla Moore smiling and holding up a peace sign
Kayla Moore Case Review
By Kimo Umu
The 9th of January, I arrived to the sounds and echoes screaming ‘’Justice for Kayla Moore.’’ There was a group of revolutionaries in front of the courthouse of the 9th circuit in downtown San Francisco on 7th and Market. The strange thing was that we were one of the only media outlets that showed up to report on the action.
We focus on this particular side of media because many of the people who operate with us have experienced and are oppressed as well under this capitalistic society. This society loves covering up the truth.
‘’Kayla needed help she didn't need to be killed,’’ said Lisa Tiny Gray. She said this during the action in front of the James R. Browning United States Court of Appeal, for the murrder of Kayla Moore by the hands of the Berkeley police department on February 12, 2013.
Kayla Moore was an artistic soul being able to pass the boundaries of what people thought was possible. Kayla Moore was schizophrenic meaning she had a mental disability. In the night of her murder Berkeley Police received a call to give an assistance checkup. What happened that night was horrific.
Kayla Moore’s incident started with a phone call to the Berkeley Police Department, from a man named John Hayes. He was her neighbor living in the adjacent apartments on the 5th floor of the building called the Gaia building. John had previous knowledge of Kayla's mental issues and called the police in concern if Kayla was having another manic episode.
Witnesses who were interviewed by the peoples investigation report say they did not hear anything prior to the arrival of the BPD (Berkley Police Department), but later after the police came John, a witness, would recall a loud thud, not thinking much of it.
Before the police arrived Kayla and her girlfriend Angel were having an argument. Moore would throw a chair at Angel after she left. Edward George accompanied with Hayes made their way to Moore’s room seeing there was something strange going on with kayla.
Officer Brown and Officer Smith would arrive to the apartment responding to the call arriving to the building at 11:56. Officer Smith would make a background check on Kayla and Hayes. Looking into the database Officer Smith would make note that there was a 5,000 dollar warrant for Hayes arrest. Smith would also do a background check on Kayla Moore. Smith would mistakenly take Kayla for ‘’Xavier Moore’’ who was 20 years older than she was.
Officer Brown in a later testimony would state ‘’I didn't know if the warrant had been confirmed,” but stated that he wanted to take Kayla Moore in for 51/50 evaluation. Officer Brown would note that he knew Moore had a mental illness and would request medical assistance.
Hayes would open the door to Kayla’s apartment where Moore was interviewed by Officer Brown who said that kayla seemed unfocused. Kayla told the officers she didn't think the officers were real and proceeded to go back inside of her apartment. That's when officer smith and Officer Tu who arrived on the scene earlier signalled to go hands on. They would attempt to arrest Kayla. Kayla refused for the officers to put the handcuffs on her and would proceed to have a quick scuffle with officers.
The melee would end with Kayla Moore in cuffs face down in her apartment with two officers pinning her down. With the assistance of two other officers from outside, who entered into the building, they eventually put Kayla into a police restraint jacket called the Wrap.
About a minute later Kayla Moore suddenly stopped breathing. Police would attempt to do chest compressions to restore her airways, but did not attempt CPR because she was a transgender Black woman. In the police reports they would refer Kayla as ‘’It’’.
This idea that the police are here to serve and protect is starting to fade away for the people of the Bay Area. Another life has been taken because of careless and reckless behavior of the police.
I'm surprised the officers were not charged for violating the Americans Disability Act of 1990 since Officer Brown had previous knowledge of her mental disability and still proceeded to use excessive force. And if he did know she had schizophrenia, why escalate the situation instead of dessculating, which BPD is known for.
Supporters at Jusice for Kayla Moore Action
The Kayla Moore Action
By Akil Carrillo
On Feburary 12, 2013 a friend of Kayla Moore, a schizophrenic transgender Woman, called the cops for a wellness check. She was worried about Kayla's Mental Health. When police arrived they immediately attempted to put her under arrest. Six cops wrestled her down onto a futon on the floor which impaired her breathing. All six cops were using their full weight to restrain a panicked woman. They almost used a spit hood on her but she had stopped breathing before one of the officers could return with one. They started to do CPR on her but for some unknown reason (Transphobia) they didn't provide assisted breathing on Kayla. She ended up passing away under Berkley Police custody.
On January 9, 2020, seven years after the incident, Deecolonize Academy went to the 9th circuit appeal in the case against the City of Berkley and the cops who killed Kayla Moore. This was appealed after Judge Breyer chose to throw out the case in 2018 without showing evidence to the jury. The Moore family believes that the overwhelming amount of evidence, the cops changing their stories and experts disagreeing on cause of death needs to be seen by a jury. Deecolonize Academy went to support this case in the hope that the Moore family is able to come out successful, which would be a huge victory and will help shape our future.
“Why do people in mental health crisis, People who need ‘help’ end up getting killed?” This was one of the many quotes we heard as we were waiting outside of James R. Browning United States Courthouse for the appeal to begin. There were many people who were also showing support. There were familiar faces and unfamiliar faces but in the end everyone was there because of the same reason.
”We are all connected in struggle.” This was one of the quotes that stuck with me. No matter what we've been through Homelessness, Mental Health, Rejection, Abuse, we are all connected through our trauma and actions. There are some people who believe that just because one hasn't gone through what they have gone through, they aren't able to understand. I've experienced this and sometimes people believe that my life has been easy, I might not have had the same struggles but I have been through my own. Sometimes someone doesn't show what they've been through but make sure you never doubt anyone. We were all there for Kayla Moore, regardless if we knew her or not. We all took our time and energy to fight for Kayla Moore because we are all connected by struggle.
When the case finally started Tiny proceeded to guide us into the courthouse, but the second we walked in we were challenged with an issue. Everyone needed and ID to enter...included all underage people. Obviously we weren't carrying our passports so all of us underage folks had to wait outside. As we were sitting outside another quote came back to me: “People shouldnt be afraid to call for help.” This quote was said from none other than Maria Moore, Kayla’s sister. Something that I realized about Maria Moore during her speech was that because of her sister’s death she chose to dedicate her life to fight for her. It took Maria seven years to get this appeal case and I believe this fight isn't over yet, not just for Kayla but for everyone who has fallen under the brutality of cops and oppression. Some people have the privilege to choose if they want to fight or not, others don't. It didn't seem as Maria had a choice, her sister's death wasn't right and Maria knew this. Ao instead of drowning in grief she chose to stand up and fight for her sister and for the future. I could see that Maria was tired, she has been fighting for so long and still has a long way to go. But I could also how happy she was when she looked around and saw people of all colors, genders and struggles standing there listening to her and fighting for her. I believe that if the case is won it will be a huge step in the right direction and the story of Kayla Moore will finally be one of the first to have a good ending.
In the end of this action I left with a sense of hope. I learned today that just one’s presence can shine hope and that hope is more important than it seems. The one thing that everyone in that action had in common was that we all had hope and that why we were all there standing together. I left with a sense of hope and I believe the victory against this hatred that we all fight is closer that it appears.
Youth Skolaz and Poverty Skolaz from POOR Magazine supporting Kayla Moore