The Los Angeles Police Department is facing tough questions about the death of 31-year-old Keenan Anderson, a D.C. charter school teacher.
Body cam footage shows he died after officers repeatedly used a stun gun to restrain him.
"Keenan, he had an immediate impact on our school community. He had amazing relationships with our scholars. They consistently commented on how he made them feel known, loved and respected," said Mashea Ashton, the CEO of Digital Pioneers Academy, where Anderson was employed.
She told 7 News she hired him about six months ago, as a 10th-grade English teacher at Digital Pioneers Academy in southeast Washington.
"He was a father, an educator, a professional. He was a human," said Ashton.
Meanwhile, the co-founder of Black Lives Matter also shared on Instagram that Keenan was also her cousin.
This week, Los Angeles police released body camera footage from the day he died while visiting family in California.
"Hey, stop right there! Get up against the wall!" said an officer.
"I didn't mean to!" said Anderson.
"Get up against the wall," said the officer.
The Jan. 3 interaction with LAPD began after Anderson was allegedly involved in a traffic collision.
The first officer on the scene called him a "possible DUI driver" and asked for backup.
But things escalated quickly.
The video shows Anderson appearing to run from the police and then being ordered to the ground. Then, a struggle ensued as additional officers arrived on the scene.
At one point, Anderson can be heard saying, "They're trying to George Floyd me."
An officer then tased Anderson repeatedly.
He was taken to the hospital but LAPD says he suffered a medical emergency and died about four hours later.
"We are grieving!" Ashton wrote in a statement she shared on the school's website. But they're also angry.
"We're angry because we have so many questions. How could this situation have been de-escalated? How could we avoid these circumstances going forward? No one deserves to be treated in the horrifying manner that Keenan was treated," said Ashton.
