Source: Drew Angerer/Stringer / Getty
One of the most heartbreaking hashtags to ever hit the internet went viral on social media recently: #IfIDieInPoliceCustody. When things go viral, this means they’re trending. In the wake of 28-year-old Sandra Bland’s untimely death while in police custody, people are demanding answers. She was pulled over for not using a turn signal, brutalized during her arrest (assault on a public servant) and was found dead in her jail cell three days later.
Of course the authorities are claiming she hanged herself in that cell, but Bland’s family and friends maintain that she was happy and excited to start a new job at Prairie View A&M University.
Thankfully social media has banned together with Bland’s family to continue questioning her death. Her name became a trending topic and then #IfIDieInPoliceCustody exploded with people sharing heartbreaking requests if they were to face the same fate as Bland and so many others, like Kimberlee-Randle King and Kindra Darnell Chapman who both were found dead in their jail cells.
Authorities are supposed to protect and serve and when civilians are under their custody, they’re vulnerable to whatever those officers of the law decide to do. It’s not like we haven’t seen countless video footage of police using excessive force while arresting people, so believing that officers could possibly have something to do with the deaths of these poor souls in custody wouldn’t be far-fetched.
The #IfIDieInPoliceCustody hashtag may be heartbreaking, but what it’s doing is telling a narrative of people who wouldn’t want their family members to have to swallow that their loved one took their own life. It opens up the possibility of police wrongdoing and creates a level of accountability for police who believe they’re above the law.
Check out some of the soul-stirring tweets:
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War Zone: Can You Tell The Difference Between Ferguson & Iraq?
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1. Similar Imagery: Ferguson Or Iraq?
According to Time magazine, the Pentagon has provided local police with $4.3 billion worth of military hardware and that is why every photo we see of Ferguson, MO looks like Iraq. There's all black wearing special-ops cops and armored vehicles straight out of a war movie. Instead of calming civil unrest, armed authorities are making things worse! Check out these photos and see if you can tell the difference.
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2. Iraq
Members of Peshmerga forces in action during the clashes with Islamic State militants.
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3. Iraq
A member of Peshmerga forces in action during the clashes with Islamic State militants.
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4. Ferguson
Hands up, don't shoot. Protestors peacefully defy the police's urges in dispersing.
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5. Iraq
Peshmerga forces, supported by People's Protection Units (YPG), enters the center of Makhmur town of Mosul city, Iraq
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6. Iraq
Smoke covers the presidential palace compound in Baghdad in 2003 during a massive US-led air raid on the Iraqi capital.
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7. Ferguson
Why does it feel like America is prepping us for martial law?
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8. Bombs Over Baghdad
Iraqis seen from a burning car moments after it detonated close to a polling station in southern Baghdad. Imagine dealing with this explosion when you're trying to vote.
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9. Ferguson
Police detain a man on August 12, 2014 in Ferguson, Missouri.
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10. Iraq
Fierce clashes keep going on between Peshmerga forces and Islamic State-led armed group members outside the Selalet neighborhood in Mosul.
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11. Iraq
Peshmerga forces, supported by People's Protection Units (YPG), enters the center of Makhmur town of Mosul
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12. Iraq
Fierce clashes keep going on between Peshmerga forces and Islamic State-led armed groups outside of Makhmur district of Mosul, Iraq
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13. Ferguson
Police take up position to control demonstrators who were protesting.
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14. Iraq
Masked Palestinians from the radical Islamic Jihad movement burn Israeli and US flags during a demonstration against the presence of US troops in Iraq.
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15. Iraq
Voters turned out in surprisingly high numbers for Iraq's first free election in half a century, defying insurgents who unleashed suicide bombers and mortar attacks that killed at least 37 people in 2005.
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16. Ferguson
Protestors hold up signs that display their message.
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17. Ferguson
Ferguson has experienced two days of violent protests since the killing but, this protest was peaceful.
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18. Iraq
Members of Peshmerga forces celebrate after they entered Iraqs northern town of Makhmur and repelled Islamic State militants.
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19. Iraq
Peshmerga forces, supported by People's Protection Units (YPG), enters the center of Makhmur town of Mosul
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20. Ferguson
Police take up position to control demonstrators who were protesting the killing of teenager Michael Brown.
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21. Ferguson
Police guard a Quick Trip gas station that was burned after Michael Brown protests.
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22. Ferguson
Police take up position to control demonstrators.
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23. Ferguson
Police force protestors from the business district into nearby neighborhoods.
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24. Ferguson
Tear gas hangs in the air as police force protestors from the business district into nearby neighborhoods on August 11, 2014 in Ferguson.
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25. Ferguson
A child uses a rag to shield his face from tear gas being fired by police who used it to force protestors from the business district into nearby neighborhoods.
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26. Ferguson
With their hands raised, residents gather at a police line as the neighborhood is locked down after protests.
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27. Ferguson
Demonstrators protest the killing of teenager Michael Brown.
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28. Ferguson
A police officer standing watch as demonstrators protest the shooting death of teenager Michael Brown conceals his/her identity. Why?
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29. Ferguson
Police stand watch as demonstrators protest the shooting death of teenager Michael Brown. Hands up!
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30. Iraq
Peshmerga forces have entered Iraqs northern town of Makhmur and repelled Islamic State militants.
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31. Ferguson
The 4th day of the protests in Ferguson.
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32. Ferguson
Police stand watch as demonstrators protest the shooting death of teenager Michael Brown.
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33. Ferguson
Police stand watch as demonstrators protest the shooting death of teenager Michael Brown.
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34. Police Ferguson
Ferguson's police gather like a swat team to combat the peaceful protestors.
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35. Iraq
A Peshmerga is seen following Peshmerga forces' seizure of Makhmur by repelling Islamic State (IS), formerly known as Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), militants in Makhmur town of Mosul.
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36. Ferguson
A demonstrator protesting the shooting death of teenager Michael Brown carries what appears to be a Molotov cocktail.
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37. Ferguson
Demonstrators protest the shooting death of teenager Michael Brown. One of them drops to her knees.
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38. Ferguson
A demonstrator protest the shooting death of teenager Michael Brown, while protecting himself from the tear gas.
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39. Ferguson
Demonstrators don't give up and continue to protest the shooting death of teenager Michael Brown.
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40. Iraq
Peshmerga forces silence the Islamic State members with attacks staged with Iraqi air forces' strikes, Katyusha rockets, howitzers and heavy weapons.
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41. Ferguson
Demonstrators approach the police with hands up, now a symbol of defiance.
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42. Ferguson
Demonstrators running away from the tear gas.
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43. Ferguson
Protestors rallying through the tear gas and rubber bullets.
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44. Ferguson
A protestor looking on at the mayhem in Ferguson.
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45. Ferguson
An Al Jazeera television crew, covering demonstrators protesting the shooting death of teenager Michael Brown, scramble for cover as police fire tear gas into their reporting position.
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46. Ferguson
A young woman walks from a corner after police standing near the corner fired tear gas at her.
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47. Ferguson
Police surround and detain two people in a car.
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48. Ferguson
Protestors fleeing tear gas.
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49. Ferguson
Protestors feeling residential neighborhoods.
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50. Ferguson
A St. Louis suburb being terrorized by police.
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51. Ferguson
Residents watching the violence unfold in their backyards.
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52. Ferguson
Protestors looking over the mayhem in Ferguson.
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53. Ferguson
We still have no clue why there was a sniper, poised and ready.
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54. Ferguson
Police watch over demonstrators protest the shooting death of teenager Michael Brown.
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#IfIDieInPoliceCustody: Heartbreaking Hashtag Goes Viral After Sandra Bland’s Mysterious Death was originally published on hellobeautiful.com
