Along with George Floyd and Ahmaud Arbery, the name Marcus David Peters has also been on the lips of protestors in Richmond.
Peters died two years ago. His family says he was having a severe mental health crisis when a police officer shot and killed him. Since then, activists have called for reforms to the city’s police force. Now, amidst renewed national attention on police brutality, those demands are finally being heard.
For two years “Help Not Death” has been the rallying cry of Richmond activists. And in recent weeks those cries have only gotten louder. They’ve been led by Princess Blanding, the sister of Marcus David Peters.
“Marcus was an amazingly funny young man,” she says. He was one of a dozen kids, a high school teacher who played the piano. “When he would come over I would just absorb him sitting down and he would play all different genres of music. He was...well rounded.”
To this day Blanding feels certain that if a mental health professional had been the first person to respond when her brother was in crisis, things would have turned out differently.
That’s why she’s pushed for a system that activists call a “Marcus Alert.” When the alert is triggered, officials would dispatch behavioral health professionals as the first responders, with an officer serving only as back up.
“We depend on the police officers to address almost everything from A to Z…” says Blanding. “We’re putting so much in their hands and the only tools that they have is deadly force.”
Blanding and others have also demanded more accountability on the back end. Peters’ death was ruled a justifiable homicide by the commonwealth’s attorney. Blanding thinks that might not have been the case if the investigation was done by an independent board of civilians.
That’s why activists are also calling for a police review board with subpoena power. That would give members of the boar to call witnesses, collect evidence, and actively investigate wrongdoing.
“There has to be a shift of power from the police to the people,” says Blanding.
She’s been making those demands without much response from local leaders for two years. But after weeks of protests fueled by a national reckoning on race and policing, city officials have finally agreed it’s time for change.
Mayor Levar Stoney has agreed to a civil review board, and implementing the Marcus Alert system.
“But it’s not enough. I’m committed to reimagining public safety,” Stoney said during a press conference this week. “I’m committed to taking a holistic approach that takes into account accountability, transparency, funding, policies and practices and above all community engagement.”
Blanding is also now talking to lawmakers about similar reforms at the state level. She says she won’t stop pushing, fueled by a promise she made to her brother after his funeral. She recalls sitting by his graveside
“I told him that we would fight for him until we got justice and reformation for him. And for black lives in general.”
That’s a promise Blanding intends to keep. Which is why she, and others, will be watching closely to see whether city and state leaders keep their promises.
This report, provided by Virginia Public Radio, was made possible with support from the Virginia Education Association.
