Dignity for Dauda

On the night of May 22, 2019, Dauda Handan was experiencing a mental health crisis. When his work supervisor received a concerning text message from Dauda, his supervisor called the Chicopee police department to request a wellness check. Dauda was attempting to kill himself when he opened the door for the police officers conducting the check, and opened the door holding two knives. The two inexperienced and armed policemen shot him twice with a taser gun and twice more with a firearm. Fortunately, Dauda survived, but he suffered a permanent injury to his right hand, lost his job, and is now unable to work. To add further injustice, the Hampden County District Attorney has charged Dauda with assaulting the officers who shot him. Dauda maintains that he did not assault the officers, and neither of them suffered any injuries.The shooting of Dauda Handan is yet another example of why sending armed police to address a mental health issue is dangerous and harmful, beyond being ineffective. Additionally, the DA’s decision to prosecute Mr. Handan is a racist, punitive response to this tragic situation: it is in fact the opposite of justice. Mass JWJ is therefore demanding that the Hampden County DA’s office drop the charges against Mr. Handan. In fighting to support Dauda, Mass JWJ collaborated with public defenders, Area Labor Federation Racial Justice and Street Heat solidarity committees, did outreach to unions and community groups, and helped reach over 5,915 people on Facebook. These efforts resulted in over 2,400 signatures for the Dignity for Dauda petition.