May 20, 2021
By Danny J. Bakewell, Jr.
Executive Editor
George Floyd family attorney, Benjamin Crump, Anthony McClain, and co-counsel, Caree Harper, led a rally in front of Pasadena City Hall on Monday. Family members of McClain were joined by two of George Floyd’s brothers in demanding justice in the shooting of McClain who was shot last summer by a Pasadena police officer. The protesters are demanding justice for McClain and want the officers fired, arrested and charged for his murder.
McClain, 32, was shot twice in the back while fleeing police during a traffic stop in August of 2020. “Just like those who killed George Floyd unjustly,” said Crump. “We want the officers who killed Anthony McClain arrested and convicted for killing Anthony McClain.”
Because of the protest and rally at city hall, the Pasadena City Council elected to cancel their normally scheduled Monday council meeting out of an abundance of caution. Attorney Crump addressed Pasadena City Councilmember Tyron Hampton as he stood in the audience, telling Hampton to make sure the Council does not cancel again and instead, hear their demands in the future.
The crowd of nearly a hundred protesters and supporters listened to co-council, Crump and Harper, who were flanked by McClain’s children, along with members of the Floyd Family. Deandra Williams, mother of McClain’s daughter, Skylinn, told the crowd that “Anthony was a great Dad; he was very hands-on and was just talking to his daughter on FaceTime before this happened. He always told his children to leave their [mark] on the world.”
Also on hand was Ben Crumps, close friend and Omega Psi Phi fraternity brother and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame honoree, George Clinton, who stated
“We are a nation under one groove. We cannot let him down,” Clinton said, referring to McClain.
The Pasadena City Council has not resumed in person meetings and is still meeting virtually. However, as stated, “out of an abundance of caution” and because city staff coordinating the meeting would have been on the premises, the council elected to roll over the last agenda to the May 24 meeting.
The facts of this case have been in dispute since the incident occurred in August of last year. McClain, who was a passenger in a car that was pulled over by police near La Pintoresca Park for failing to display a front license plate.
After the driver and McClain were asked to step out of the car, McClain ran from the scene. Police reports say McClain removed a handgun from his waistband, prompting officer Edwin Dumaguindin to open fire on McClain. Attorney Caree Harper denies that McClain was carrying a gun and others have reported that they did not see a gun in the body-cam footage of the incident.
Police investigators have said that McClain’s DNA was recovered from a pistol that police seized at the scene. But Harper and other family attorneys have questioned whether the gun may have been contaminated with McClain’s DNA, such as his blood, after the police shooting took place.