Waka Flocka might have thrown his support behind Donald Trump, but he’s challenging the President-elect’s campaign promise to grant police officers immunity from prosecution.
The Atlanta rapper took to his Instagram Stories on Thursday (January 2) to highlight the case of a 37-year-old Black man who died in police custody in 2020.
Eric Lurry was handcuffed in the back of a squad car after being arrested by Joliet police during a drug-related operation. He appeared to be chewing on something and lost consciousness.
Video footage showed a police sergeant slapping Lurry, telling him to ” Wake up, b####.” The cop also pinched his nose shut for nearly 90 seconds. Another officer inserted a police baton into his mouth, blocking his airway.
Lurry was pronounced dead at a hospital around 11 hours after his arrest.
Waka Flocka was horrified by the case and shared a report, tagging Donald Trump on Instagram while calling for justice for Eric Lurry.
“it’s [no way] these cops getting immunity!!” he wrote, adding, “JUSTICE.”
Donald Trump On Police Immunity
During the presidential campaign, Donald Trump pledged to give police officers “immunity from prosecution.” He also called for giving back “power and respect” to police at a Fraternal Order of Police event before proposing a frightening “one rough hour” of a law enforcement response.
“One rough hour, and I mean real rough, the word will get out and it will end immediately,” he said.
Joliet Police claimed they were trying to get drugs out of Lurry’s throat during the arrest. The medical examiner called Lurry’s death an accidental overdose and determined that Lurry had “fatal doses” of heroin, fentanyl and cocaine in his system.
County prosecutors did not file charges against any officers involved, stating that Lurry’s death did not “result directly” from their actions.
Lurry’s widow, Nicole Lurry, filed a federal lawsuit against the city of Joliet and four officers involved in the arrest.
The video of Lurry’s arrest only came to light four months after his death. It was leaked by a whistleblower, leading to his arrest and charges of felony “official misconduct.”
Last month, the charges were dropped on the day the whistleblower was due to go to trial.
The Illinois Attorney General’s office launched a wide-ranging investigation into the Joliet Police Department, which found a pattern of using excessive force.
