While many Chesapeake towns have recently debated BLM murals, argued about historical monuments, or taken to the streets to protest in the wake of the rising Black Lives Matter movement in the country, some would say that these same communities have been surprisingly silent in bringing attention to the death of a Black teenager some thirty miles from their doorstep two years ago.
It what can only be described as a mind-boggling catastrophe, the story of Anton Black’s final hour, first on a rural road and ending in the front of his mother’s house, is a virtual case study of how systemic racism could have led to the tragic death of a young man with such a promising future.
Freelance writer Glynis Kazanjian should know. She has authored twenty-three articles for the online news source Maryland Matters since Anton’s death and continues to cover its aftermath in the form of proposed police reform in Annapolis. While the state medical examiner report on the incident ruled Anton Black’s death an accident, stating that he had died due to a previously undiagnosed coronary artery abnormality, Kazanjian has documented in those news stories many unresolved issues related to his death and its investigation.
Glynis sat down with the Spy via Zoom a few weeks ago to talk about what took place on the afternoon of September 15, 2018, in Greensboro, Maryland. She describes in painful chronological detail, with the help of the official police bodycam video, Anton’s arrest, and his treatment by the three white officers and one civilian who participated in his apprehension.
This video is approximately sixteen minutes in length. Viewer discretion is advised. We will continue our coverage this week with an update by Glynis Kazanjian on the police reform movement in Annapolis.
This interview is also available in podcast format here:
Kathleen Carroll says
Thank you to The Talbot Spy for following up on this. I always wondered why this case did not receive more national attention–or even more local attention.
Stephen Schaare says
Two thoughts here- try following the instructions of the Police, and do NOT run away. His own Mom would not open the door to let Anton inside? Perhaps Mom was waiting for the Police to arrive, so she had protection from her own son. A mess.