Rep. Cori Bush (D-Mo.) claimed in a video posted to X on Monday that police officers nationwide cause black Americans to have over “50 million” days of poor mental health per year.
Bush made the remarks while commemorating the birthday of Michael Brown, who was killed by a police officer in self-defense in Ferguson, Missouri, in 2014.
“Michael Brown should have turned 28 years old. The last birthday he celebrated and will ever get to celebrate was his 18th. Just 81 days after his 18th birthday, a Ferguson police officer killed him. In a just world, Mike Brown would be with his loved ones right now, celebrating another year, dreaming of his future as he blows out the candles on his birthday cake. But instead, we are only left with the memories of who he was,” Bush states in the video.
Bush goes on to say Brown’s family and friends have to deal with the trauma of the “police violence” that took away Brown. It is because of Brown’s case and others, Bush is pushing Congress to pass the “Helping Families Heal Act.”
“Police killings of unarmed black people are responsible for more than 50 million additional days of poor mental health days per year. It’s devastating our community, and it must be addressed,” Bush said.
The “Helping Families Heal Act” would provide mental health support for “victims, families, and communities harmed by police violence.”
Bush goes on to whitewash the destructive riots in Ferguson following Brown’s death by calling it an “uprising” for justice that “birthed an affirmative vision of our community.”
‘As we continue to work to end police brutality, mass incarceration, and cycles of trauma, we must also invest in … health, safety, and well-being.’
Cosponsors of Bush’s include Democratic Reps. Jamaal Bowman (N.Y.), Bonnie Watson Coleman (N.J.), Jesús “Chuy” García (Ill.), and Rashida Tlaib (Mich.).
“The Helping Families Heal Act will provide more resources to address the devastating mental health consequences of police violence in our communities. As we continue to work to end police brutality, mass incarceration, and cycles of trauma, we must also invest in the health, safety, and well-being of our communities. Together, we can help our families heal,” Bush stated in her press release.
While Bush does not cite her “50 million” days statistic, the NAACP has published the same claim.
Brown was shot by police after Brown attacked the officer. While BLM activists claimed Brown had his hands up when he was shot, an investigation by Barrack Obama’s Department of Justice did not find evidence to support those claims. Brown had robbed a convenience store and assaulted the clerk prior to police intercepting Brown.
Politics