Rena Johnson was standing in a spot she'd never been in before. With tears in her eyes, she addressed a crowd of attentive citizens from the exact location her son had lain as policemen stood over him, shooting him.

"It is very important that we all stick together, and not just come together when we're angry. We have to fight every day because they are killing our babies left and right and nothing is being done. It's time to stand up and say enough is enough."

This was Johnson's message to a crowd of over 100 citizens who participated in the October 22 National Day Against Police Brutality. Johnson's 16 year old son Jerome was shot at least seven times by undercover police officers last April in a case of mistaken identity, and he is currently being tried as an adult with assault and weapons charges, though he was unarmed.

O22 was commemorated in its fourth year in St. Louis with 'The Killing Fields' Funeral Procession. Other mothers, fathers, sisters, grandmothers, and family members spoke in memory of their lost sons as the caravan proceeded to four sites of recent police brutality around the city. At each location, the Coalition Against Police Crimes and Repression's (CAPCR) co-chair Zaki Baruti spoke out against police brutality and the criminalization of young black men by the justice system. Each victim was mourned as the Coalition presented flowers to their family members.

Organized by the CAPCR (454-9005), the procession began at Chippewa and Jefferson, the site of Julius Thurman's murder. His mother Virginia, along with Bob West, tied a ribbon around a tree outside the AC Pawn shop that Julius and three other young men attempted to burglarize in April 1999. Thurman was shot and killed due to head injuries inflicted by policeman Robert Dodson, an officer with a history of brutality. Thurman, 19, had also been shot a few years earlier in a botched attempt to rob a liquor store.

"Only togetherness can stop this," said Thurman's mother. "We have to stop the killer cops."

"Police brutality is a huge problem that increases in scope every year, and that's why most of us think there needs to be some kind of accountability in the police department," said Baruti.

The caravan proceedeed to 4000 Flad, the site of Jerome Ruffin's murder. Ruffin's four children looked on as a cross was placed in the ground in memory of their father, who was shot and killed last April by officer Brian Min after Ruffin fled the police because he was drinking a beer on the street. Ruffin had previously received two minor possession charges in 1994 and 1996, and a case was pending for 1998 robbery charges when he died. He had also been arrested for possession of marijuana in March, but had never been convicted of a serious crime. He was 22 when he died, and had been described by friends and family members as quiet and obedient, more inclined to handle conflict through discussion rather than confrontation.

"I have the highest respect for authority and nothing but contempt for those who abuse it,' said his grandmother Aretha Pampkin. "And that's why we are going to continue to fight until there's real meaning in the words liberty and justice for all."

The Caravan then carried on to 4200 Natural Bridge, the site of Torrence Mull's murder. While standing on the street corner with his cousin one night in May, Mull was confronted by officer Anthony Martin. He was then ordered to lift up his shirt, revealing a plastic bb gun tucked into his pants. Mull was 16 when shot by officer Martin, and had no prior convictions or charges.

"We all feel sorry in our hearts for the families today, and give them our sole condolences for their suffering," said Tumaini Mata, another Coalition member. "Torrence Mull was not even able to say he'd made it through school and this so-called great American life. His life was taken by the people who say this is a great American life. It is time to stop the brutality. It's going to take a whole community, getting people out here to say 'we can make a change,' and not to let people think that they have to fear the police."

The tour concluded at Carter & Red Bud, where 16 year-old Jerome Johnson was shot at least seven times by police last April. Undercover officers were in pursuit of suspects in a red Ford Escort in the neighborhood when Johnson was caught in their crossfire, mistakenly identified as one of the occupants of the car. The names of the officers involved in the case have not been released.

"For all of the killings that have taken place, we have had no convictions," said Baruti. "We speak not only to killer cops but to a judicial system that allows them to stay on the street, victimizing our people. We as a people must rise up to put an end to the terrors in St. Louis."

At its peak, the car caravan numbered 38 vehicles, all bearing 'funeral' signs and posters with the names of many victims of police brutality in recent years in St. Louis. Driving slowly with hazard lights blinking, the funeral procession compelled many people in the streets to honk and wave or shout their support.

The procession culminated at the Yeatman Community Center, where speakers included Melinda Long, Alderwoman 21st ward, and Terry Kennedy, Alderman 18th ward and co-sponsor of the Civilian Oversight Review Board (Board Bill #71) which is currently making its way through Legislative Committee.

The purpose of Board Bill #71 is to provide an independent civilian oversight group that will receive and investigate civilian complaints against police officers. These complaints would include those of misconduct, excessive use of force, abuse of authority, discourtesy, racial profiling, and offensive language. The proposed Board would have access to all police records and would also have the power to report findings and recommend disciplinary action and policy changes based on patterns of complaints to the Chief of Police and Police Commission.

Alderwoman Melinda Long also spoke out in favor of Board Bill #71, but with a more neutral approach to the issues of police brutality. "There are always two sides to every story. Police officers put their lives on the line every day and we acknowledge their profession. The 21st ward has experienced a lot of crime, which I am disturbed by; I have people calling me up and telling me about crimes because they are afraid to call the police. I'm hoping that committees will be formed by the Civilian Oversight Board that will be able to monitor police and what has lead up to these events. We want truth and fairness at all levels." Long stressed examining the factors that led up to incidents of police brutality, both within the community and the police department.

Alderman Terry Kennedy also addressed the crowd with a brief history of Board Bill #71, which was introduced June 1, 2001. "We should not assume that all police officers are bad people, and that every police officer is involved in the wrong conduct. To do so would be profiling them as we are saying they do us. We have to address the system that puts them in the position to have this behavior, and Board Bill #71 addresses the system. It attempts to make structural changes that will enhance the capacity of good officers and will behave in the best interest of the citizens." Kennedy emphasized the need for citizens to stay active and involved. As well, he also touched on the fact that the criminal justice system also victimizes police, citing accounts of racial infighting and shoot-outs between St. Louis police officers.

"We are in a protracted, low intensity warfare," said Baruti, recounting a brief history of the CAPCR to the crowd. "In encountering that warfare that has been visited upon black people, we have to have a counter-struggle of organization. The Coalition was formed around the police shooting of Marilyn Banks in 1983, followed by the murder of Garland Carter. We've tried to get officers indicted and haven't yet. The purpose of the Coalition is to end police crimes and abuse, to stop the criminal injustice system, and to end the criminalization of a generation. We have been moving forward to bring pro-active changes within the community and its relationship to the police."

Jamala Rogers, a CAPCR co-chair, also addressed the issue of police brutality in relation to the recent terror attacks of September 11. "Brothers and sisters, this is a very critical time for us to organize. We have to resist the language and behavior that says if we don't support the police right now we are being unpatriotic. It is our duty to fight against all forms of terror and violence. One of the reasons that African-Americans and other people of color in this country have not joined the bandwagon against bin Laden is that we know how it feels to be falsely accused of something we may not have done."

Rogers also stressed the ways people could address the issue of police brutality beyond the day's events. "We need to be very forward and focused in our approach, and we need to let our Aldermen know we are responsible enough to want legislation for community control of the police. It's across race and class lines; it's about justice. We need you to go to your Aldermen, go to your communities, get support for this and join the Coalition."