Last week in New York City, the NYPD shot and injured Derell Mickles, a 37-year-old Black man, along with two other civilians and an officer in the subway – all over a $2.90 subway fare. Mickles was shot multiple times in the stomach, and Gregory Delpeche, a 49-year-old bystander on his way to work, was shot in the head. They both remain in critical condition after the police turned a minor fare dispute into a violent shooting.
The shooting took place on the L train in Brownsville, a predominantly Black neighborhood in Brooklyn where nearly 40% of the residents live in poverty. Rather than investing in affordable, reliable transit, New York City and State “leaders” are pouring millions into policing, targeting working people who cannot pay the fare. Since March, Mayor Eric Adams has deployed 800 additional officers to the subway, and Governor Kathy Hochul even brought in the National Guard. This heightened policing does not serve the needs of the people – it serves the ruling class by keeping the masses of working people living in fear.
This recent shooting is not an isolated incident; it is part of a system of police violence against Black and oppressed communities across the country – which has only been increasing. 2023 was the deadliest year for police killings on record, with a high of 1,352 – a staggering number that is on track to be surpassed in 2024. National outrage over police killings flared this summer after the July 6 murder of 36-year-old Sonya Massey, who was fatally shot three times at close range by police in her own home after calling 911 for help. Instead of providing any sort of assistance, officers escalated the situation, killed Massey, and even refused to allow medical treatment as she lay dying.
As Koreans in the United States, we denounce the ongoing police violence against Black and oppressed communities. We recognize that the fight against police violence is not separate from our struggle against imperialism. In recent months, two Korean Americans experiencing mental health crises were killed by the police, highlighting how the system fails us all. These extrajudicial killings make it clear: the police do not protect us – they harm and endanger us.
On May 2nd, 40-year-old Yong Yang was shot and killed by LAPD in his family’s Koreatown home. His parents had called the LA County Department of Mental Health (DMH) for help with Yong’s bipolar episode, but DMH responders quickly brought in the LAPD. Within seconds of entering the home, police officers shot Yong three times in the chest before handcuffing him as he bled out on the floor of his parent’s apartment. LAPD refused to communicate with Yong’s parents regarding their son’s death for weeks and has since withheld evidence and delayed the investigation, despite ongoing community and family calls for transparency.
On July 25, 25-year-old Korean American Victoria Lee was shot and killed by police while experiencing a mental health crisis. Lee suffered from bipolar disorder, and her family called 911 for assistance during an episode. Victoria’s brother, after learning that the police would be accompanying medics, tried to cancel the call, asking the police not to come. Despite these efforts, police officers broke down the door to her house and, within minutes, shot Lee multiple times in her New Jersey home.
These recent shootings underscore how police routinely escalate to undue – and often fatal – violence, whether it be in response to mental health crises or minor infractions like fare evasion. The shooting of Derell Mickles and bystander commuters over a $2.90 subway fare reflects the same impulse to lethal force that led to the deaths of Yong Yang and Victoria Lee. In each case, the police escalated the situation and jumped to excessive force and aggression.
The problem is not with a few police officers or a few “bad apples.” It is a broader issue rooted within a system designed to control and punish the masses of working people. This is yet another facet of the US war economy – where endless funds are funneled into policing and militarization at the expense of public services and community care.
This past year, the government spent upwards of $3.3 billion on the LAPD, $11 billion on the NYPD, and $1.5 trillion on war abroad – while mental health services, affordable transportation and housing, and community care remain chronically underfunded. The vast amount of resources poured into policing at home and warmongering abroad, rather than into services that could adequately respond to and prevent such crises, ultimately demonstrate the failure of the system to prioritize life over death.
We demand a fundamental shift in priorities: We demand an end to the war economy. We demand the US government divert spending from war, prisons, and policing. This includes an end to the ongoing militarization of the police – from the NYPD to the LAPD. Furthermore, we demand the removal of police from our subways and mental health services.
We stand with the families of Derell Mickles, Gregory Delpeche, Sonya Massey, Victoria Lee, Yong Yang, and countless others in their fight for justice and accountability against police violence. Our communities deserve a system that responds with compassion and care, not violence. We envision and work towards a society where individuals are met with support, dignity, and protection – not the threat of death.