More than a dozen protesters faced police officers Friday, blocking part of the intersection of Palm Avenue and 19th Street in Ybor City, near a branch of the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office.
The demonstrators marched to the HCSO to protest the death of Levonia “Daddyman” Riggins, a 22-year-old unarmed black man shot and killed by Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Deputy Caleb Johnson last week.
“We have known these circumstances could happen here in Tampa. It has happened around the world,” said Ali Muhammad, Chairman of the Vanguard of Tampa Bay. “Justice delayed is justice denied. Right now, justice is being delayed and we feel that it's about to be denied. That's why we're out here.”
Protesters stood at the gates of HCSO Freddie Solomon Annex as they demanded Deputy Johnson’s indictment and Sheriff David Gee’s resignation over the death of Riggins.
The protesters were outnumbered by Tampa police as they attempted to walk to the front entrance of the facility. Police officers formed barricades with their bicycles and bodies to prevent the protesters from further blocking the intersection.
Two protesters were arrested after authorities said they were trying to get past the police barricade and into the street. Jason Stuart Flores, 31, was charged with three counts of battery on a law enforcement officer and one count of resisting arrest without violence, according to Tampa Bay Times. Chardonnay Singleton, 28, was charged with resisting arrest without violence and disorderly conduct.
“This is what freedom looks like,” said Flores as he was escorted to a police car. “They kill us every day and no one does anything.”
Protesters further demanded answers from the sheriff’s office about the death of Riggins.
“The Riggins, Branton family has received zero answers,” said Jamaica Reddick, member of the Bay Area Dream Defenders who led the crowd for two hours. “Today, we are demanding justice for them. We want answers as to what happened that day.”
Maj. Willie L. Parker Jr., commander of HCSO's Community Outreach Division, tried answering the protesters’ questions about Riggins' killing and the ongoing State Attorney's Office investigation.
“We're not trying to hide anything. We're not trying to cover up anything,” Parker said.
For some of the protesters, this isn’t the first time they have dealt with the death of a loved one killed by police. Natasha Clemons, whose son Rodney Mitchell, 23, was shot and killed by two Sarasota County Sheriff's Deputies in 2012, marched with protesters Friday to demand justice for the Riggins and Branton family.
“I stand in solidarity because I was there before. It's been 4 years, which feels like yesterday. I understand how they feel,” said Clemons.
Friday’s protest was two hours before Riggins’ wake. As the protest came to a close, protesters gathered in a circle for a prayer and left to attend Riggins’ wake. His funeral was Saturday.
This article appears in Sep 8-15, 2016.