Myth of 'superhuman strength' in Black people persists in deadly encounters with police
Deputy Steven Mills of the Lee County Sheriff’s Office was on patrol one night in 2013 when he received a call about a naked Black man walking down a rural road in Phenix City, Alabama.
Mills said the man ignored his calls to stop, but when the officer threatened to use his Taser, 24-year-old Khari Illidge turned, walked toward him and said, “tase me, tase me.” In a sworn statement, the deputy said he shocked Illidge twice because he’d been unable to physically restrain the “muscular” man with “superhuman strength.”
Other officers who arrived at the scene used the same language in describing Illidge, who a medical examiner said was 5-foot-1-inch and 201 pounds. They bound together his hands and legs behind his back in what’s known as a hogtie restraint, and later noticed he had stopped breathing. Illidge was pronounced dead at a hospital.
Related articles
Woman identified as person killed in fall at daughter's Ohio State graduation
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — A woman who fell from the stands to her death during a graduation ceremony at2024-05-08Waymo's robotaxi service expands into Los Angeles, starting free rides in parts of the city
WayMo's driverless taxi service expands to streets of LA 01:412024-05-08ACT leader David Seymour laments 'lost decades' as coalition gets to work
David Seymour at his state of the nation address at the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron in Auckland2024-05-08'Major logistics exercise' to deliver humanitarian aid from NZ to Gaza
The camp is sheltering about 2000 people, predominantly women and children. Photo: FIANZ / Supplied2024-05-08Rep. Greene and Speaker Johnson meet for a second day as possible vote on his ouster simmers
WASHINGTON (AP) — Embattled House Speaker Mike Johnson portrayed himself as in control Tuesday, insi2024-05-08China pushes emergency use of COVID vaccine despite concerns
Your web browser is no longer supported. To improve your experience update it here2024-05-08
atest comment