Ms. Virginia Jackson was shot with a taser gun on her stomach, arm and breast.
The following is a testimony made at the Uhuru House in St. Petersburg, Florida by Ms. Virginia Jackson, an African woman in her forties who was brutally attacked by Pinellas County Sheriff’s Deputies when they came for her son. This attack happened on July 10, the same day that the St. Petersburg Police used tasers to kill a young African named Michael Babers in the same city. This testimony, made on July 17, 2006, exemplifies the need for African people to get organized so that we can ensure that these daily attacks made by the State against our community never happen again.
They took the screen from out of my window and snatched the window completely open. So I’m standing up. I say, “What are you doing? What are you doing? He’s here. He’s at the door.”
As they were coming in the window, he was coming out the door to surrender himself. So while I’m asking them, “What are you doing,” they took the taser and shot me in my chest, in my abdomen, and in my arm. I fell on the floor.
My son said, “What are you doing? What are you doing? My mother has health issues. Are you going to kill her? Are you going to kill her?” So they turned around and shot him as well with the taser.
We’re both laying on the floor. They dragged us out. The door was open. I have witnesses and everything.
As they got me down to almost the end of the sidewalk, I kind of like collapsed, laying there helpless. My son said, “What are you doing to my mother? Are you going to kill her? Are you going to kill her?”
“My son said, “What are you doing to my mother? Are you going to kill her? Are you going to kill her?””
With him having handcuffs on, the officer who had him in handcuffs took him and slammed him through a glass window.
That’s the result. No medical care for me. They rushed my son to Bayfront Medical Center. He had to have stitches and everything.
Just to clarify, the reason that I didn’t open the door when they came was because, before that, I was home by myself, and they came to the door. I peeped out my window and they said, “Is your son Keary Jackson here?”
I said, “No, he’s not here.”
They said, “Well, can we come in and search?”
I said, “No. Do you have a search warrant?” Then I said, “Well I’m not dressed, but since you don’t believe me, I will allow you to come in once I get dressed.”
So I had my head stuck out my door. He took the door and stuck his foot in the door as I proceeded to close it.
I didn’t have anything on but my night clothes with my head peeping out the door. They snatched the door out of my hand — two of them — and just barged in on me as I was. And I have injuries from that as well.
It’s very unjust. I’ve never been in trouble in my life. I never had a record or anything, and how they proceeded to do what they’ve done to my son and me was very unjust. And I will get my justice.
