racial profiling

Tavion Koonce-Williams, 15, Shot By Akron Police Over Fake Gun: What We Know

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Evidently, police brutality and racial profiling is still very much alive. Tavion Koonce-Williams, a 15-year-old teen, was shot by an Akron, Ohio police officer on April 1st, 2024. This is yet another terrible case of the police looking for an excuse to shoot a Black boy. Why? Because Akron PD claims the boy was shot for wielding a “Facsimile Firearm.” However, the innocent boy was simply holding a toy gun. 

This story, like many others across the United States, reminds the world at large of the consistent profiling of Black youth. Notably, Ohio has an existing history with trigger-happy cops. Take the case of 12-year-old Tamir Rice, who was killed in 2014 for possessing a pellet gun. Although Tavion Koonce-Williams is still alive, things could have taken a more serious turn.   

What Happened With Tavion Koonce-Williams?

A female 911 caller claimed she saw a Black male pointing a gun at houses on Tonawanda Avenue and Newton Street. Officer Westlake, the responding police officer in the area, went to check it out. There, he found Tavion at an intersection on Brittain Road and Ottawa Avenue. The events of what happened from the released body camera video by Akron’s Mayor Malik show Officer Westlake pulling up next to Tavion and asking, “Where you coming from? Can I see your hands?” 

Westlake then gets out of his police car, pointing his gun at Tavion. Only three and a half seconds later, he fires one shot, hitting Tavion in the wrist. Tavion drops to the ground screaming, “It’s fake, it’s fake!” while holding his hands up. The policeman subsequently handcuffs him. Upon inspecting the gun and realizing it was a fake, the officer put a tourniquet on Tavion’s bleeding wrist.

Tavion’s Family Speaks Out

Tavion’s mom, Angel Williams, while speaking at a press conference, said this was “very, very traumatizing” for their whole family. His dad, James Koonce, said he’s “deeply hurt by the trauma” this has caused and that it will “affect his life forever.” Furthermore, their representing lawyer, Imokhai Okolo, has made it clear that the family wishes for Westlake to be immediately removed from the force. Moreover, they believe he also should be charged in court. He also brought up the decade-old police killing of Tamir Rice, who, similarly, had a toy gun. Okolo then asked how a child could get “gunned down” when following the officer’s orders with his hands up.

Community leaders in Akron are also in unison with their demands that the officer be let go from the force. The Akron NAACP president said that, while Tavion shouldn’t have had a toy gun, the “trained” officer should not have shot a 15-year-old kid. Ray Greene Jr., from the group Freedom BLOC, also said that the police “de-escalate and don’t kill white children every day,” but the case was different for Black kids. Unsurprisingly, he also wants Westlake terminated for the shooting of Tavion Koonce-Williams.

The Officer’s Disciplinary Past

Records show that in 2021, Westlake was fired for pulling his gun on his girlfriend while drunk and using slurs. However, he was rehired the next day after the police union got involved. The union defended Westlake, saying he subsequently followed his training when making that “split-second deadly force decision.” This has now raised questions about the union’s role in defending police officers who stray. It also strengthens the case that Westlake could have ended up killing Tavion Koonce-Williams.

What’s Next?

An independent state investigation by BCI is ongoing and will head over to the Ohio Attorney General’s office, as well as the grand jury. The Akron police internal affairs will also investigate the case to decide if any policies were broken. This shooting of a Black teenager over a fake gun has people outraged about the heightened racism in the police force. The people want transparency and accountability from a department with a repetitive history. Tavion Koonce-Williams’ life is forever changed, as the young teenager has become part of a larger statistic of the biases that make children of color feel unsafe.

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Jadakiss Blasts Casino For Alleged Racial Profiling After They Kick Him Out

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Jadakiss is one of the most enduring and consistently great rappers in the culture, and a staple of lyricism and work ethic. Still, not everyone is caught up to this reality, and a casino staff recently got his staunch ire for treating him with alleged disdain. Moreover, the New York MC called out The Nomad in Las Vegas after they kicked him out as he gambled for unknown reasons. While he was spending and losing) a lot of money, the venue workers still asked him to leave, which was a bizarre interaction. The LOX legend remarked on his absurd wealth when commenting on his desire to never return, and even alluded to racism being the driving force behind this act.

“That was nasty,” the person behind the camera said in the video below. “Don’t worry about it, we at 5 million, don’t worry. We good, go.” “Don’t ever gamble at The Nomad ever again!” Jadakiss stated in the clip. “Last Usher show is tomorrow, I don’t know what happened. I’ve been gambling in here since Wednesday, I’m a tax-paying citizen. I’ve been losing my shirt, socks, everything! They coming to me at the end of the night talking about, ‘I need your…’ I didn’t lose that much, and I didn’t win nothing! Is this racial profiling? I’m out of here, I’m never coming back. And I’m a millionaire.“

Read More: Meek Mill Credits Jadakiss For “Guiding” Him In His Youth

Jadakiss Left Furious After Casino Kicks Him Out: Watch

Even though Jada has an incredible career, he also has plenty of moments like these that are more frustrating– just like anyone else has them. In fact, he recently recalled his worst show ever to Dave East, which was more embarrassing than angering in comparison to this moment. “It was probably our first European tour, late ’90s in London and I ran out of underwear,” the 48-year-old recalled. “One of my homies from my block here lived in London too. So I’m like, ‘Yo Nerf, I need some boxers for the show. He’s like, ‘Don’t worry I got you.’ We looking and there’s nothing, though. I had a pair of Speedos. I had the worst s**ts ever. It was my worst show ever in life. I felt horrible.”

Meanwhile, at least he’s enjoying a lot of shows today. The D-Block affiliate recently gave 50 Cent his flowers and praised his The Final Lap Tour. Let’s just hope that he doesn’t forget this incident the next time they invite him to gamble after a concert. For more news and the latest updates on Jadakiss, come back to HNHH.

Read More: Jadakiss Is Star-Struck By His New Chain Honoring The LOX’s D-Block Label

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GloRilla Says She Was Racially Profiled At Hotel Valet

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GloRilla recently had to hop on her Instagram to tell her fans an unfortunate story, in which she believes she was racially profiled. Moreover, the “Tomorrow 2” hitmaker tried to get her car out of her hotel valet, telling the employee her room number to verify her ownership of the vehicle. Then, he said that there was no way she owned a Mercedes car, saying that it was an expensive whip. Not only that, but he allegedly insinuated that many people stole cars recently, and so he believed Glo tried to do the same. Eventually, she figured things out and resolved the issue, but it still left her not just offended, but surprised.

After all, the Memphis MC is one of the biggest and most buzzed about rising stars of the moment. She just dropped a deluxe version of her breakout project, Anyways, Life’s Great… including Lil Durk, Cardi B, and other notable names. Of course, it includes her massive hit “F.N.F. (Let’s Go)” along with a few other hits across the tracklist. What’s more is that she’s carrying the flag of the dominant Memphis scene, and exemplifies it through her sound and style.

GloRilla Calls Out Hotel Valet’s Racial Profiling Over Her Car

Unfortunately, she clapped back at another rapper using her name for clout on a track, adding to the disrespect. On his song “Saweetie” (on which he also name-drops the titular artist), Money Man rapped about wanting a girl with GloRilla’s figure. “Skinny b***h inside my DMs, she remind me of GloRilla,” he rapped on the track. Following a lot of people pointing out the bar to her, the 23-year-old took to Twitter to call out the song and the questionable lyrics.

“Hey guys, what song is this??????????? I hate it,” she quote-tweeted a user who wrote the bar in question to her. Regardless, GloRilla likely has a lot more big things to look forward to that will allow her to kick that dirt off her shoulder. For example, she recently participated in a Tommy Jeans and Aries campaign and paid tribute to the late and great Aaliyah. For more news and updates on her next moves, check back in with HNHH for all things GloRilla.

Mark Curry Accuses Colorado Springs Hotel Of Racial Profiling

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A Colorado Springs hotel issued an apology after staff appeared to harass comedian Mark Curry in the lobby.

Curry shared a 26-minute clip on Instagram documenting himself at the Mining Exchange in Colorado Springs. The comedian was scheduled for a performance down the street from his hotel. However, within moments of sitting down, two staff members closely approached him with hostility. He explained that one individual, who identified as the head of security, asked if he was a guest at the hotel.

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 07: Mark Curry attends the Black Carpet Premiere of Hidden Empire’s new film “The House Next Door: Meet the Blacks 2” at Regal LA Live: A Barco Innovation Center on June 07, 2021 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Leon Bennett/WireImage)

“If you’re Black and you’re in Colorado Springs, you can’t be in the lobby,” Mark Curry said. “Wow! This is crazy, isn’t it?”

At that point, the other staff member accused the Mr. Cooper actor of using the “race card.”

Later on, Curry revealed that the two men were following him as he tried to go to the bathroom. He then told the woman at the front desk that he’d like to contact the police. Afterward, Curry said the man that followed him didn’t provide any sort of identification or a badge.

“I would like to call the police on this guy for following me. I don’t know who he is,” said Curry. At this point, the woman explained that the man was one of their engineers and tried to identify him “for safety.”

“Black man and a Hotel Lobby it’s impossible that he has a room here. No, I have a suite !He walks up to me with no badge on. I don’t know who this man is. And asked to see my hotel key Wyndham racism.719-323-2000 call them pleaseJhon Crab head of security and head of maintenance at the same time,” Curry captioned the Instagram post.

The clip quickly went viral, prompting a response from the hotel. The Mining Exchange rep said they’re “committed to providing a safe and inclusive space for all guests and employees.”

“We deeply regret this incident and have reached out to Mr. Curry to offer not only our sincere apologies but a full refund of his stay and an invitation to return, at no cost, anytime in the future,” the company continued in their statement. They added they’re also “using this opportunity to revisit training with our staff, helping to ensure all interactions are reflective of our company values.”