In the Memory of Injustice

St. Paul, Minnesota -

On July 22, 2006, 19 year old Fong Lee was shot and killed by a Minneapolis police officer.

On May 28, 2009 a Federal jury ruled that Officer Jason Andersen did not use excessive force when he shot and killed Lee, ruling against Fong Lee's family's wrongful death lawsuit against the city of Minneapolis. Lee's family asserts that Fong was unarmed and running away on foot from the police officer.

Elvis Thao, a member of the Hmong community in Minnesota, and actor, hip-hop performer and musician in Clint Eastwood's award-winning 2008 movie Gran Torino, contributes this poem in tribute to Fong Lee.

St. Paul, Minnesota -

On July 22, 2006, 19 year old Fong Lee was shot and killed by a Minneapolis police officer.

On May 28, 2009 a Federal jury ruled that Officer Jason Andersen did not use excessive force when he shot and killed Lee, ruling against Fong Lee's family's wrongful death lawsuit against the city of Minneapolis.

Elvis Thao, a member of the Hmong community in Minnesota, and actor, performer and musician in Clint Eastwood's award-winning 2008 movie Gran Torino, contributes this poem in tribute to Fong Lee.

"In the Memory of Injustice" is written and performed by Tou SaiKo Lee ft. Xaiesque and Proto-J

The Verdict:

News story by Brandt Williams Minnesota Public Radio.

The Case:

News story by Rochelle Olson Star Tribune

The poetry is accompanied by music, however we are only able to reprint the text-only version here:

In the Memory of Injustice

In the Memory of Injustice
In the Memory of Fong Lee,
In the memory of all victims of police brutality,
In the memory of a tragedy translated to travesty
In the memory of a planted gun, conspiracies and sons lost
under the
sun,
The Videotape was lost and they thought it was all done. They
were
wrong:
3 shots running away. 5 shots on the ground. One son down
bleeding all
around
His generation are the grandsons of a secret army that
sacrificed to
save backs of soldiers.
and shooting teenagers in the back would never achieve a
medal of
bravery
unless they thought the person they shot was seen as a Refugee
from
Southeast.
The Police pull over Civics and Toyotas at the rate of heartbeats
of Hmong kids that get beat down at the side of small streets.
But Fong Lee was on a bike unarmed, before his life was stolen
and
broken with bullet holes.
As the spokes of his bicycle spun in circles, we have spoken up
to break
the cycle of this circus.
This case makes me believe that these cops perceive us as less
than
human beings and worthless.

In the Memory of Injustice
In the Memory of Fong Lee,
In the memory of all victims of police brutality,
In the memory of a tragedy translated to travesty
In the memory of a planted gun, conspiracies and sons lost
under the
sun,
The Videotape was lost and they thought it was all done. They were
wrong:
We will never forget that messed up shoot out in North
Minneapolis,
When cops raided the wrong house by mistake, and put little
Hmong kids
lives at stake,
And still got a medal from the station for being brave, give me a
break
It makes me wonder what it takes for men with badges to earn
a medal of
valor these days.
We don't feel protected and safe from Policemen with Swine-
Pen
mentalities,
think outside the fence,
instead of doing dirt with blood stains on shirts that leave
family
casualties.
But you know what's really corrupt? When the police chief
cooperates to
cover it all up.
We scream for justice with enough evidence to force the whole
force to
give it up.
The Department is Responsible, for those accountable we
demand FIRE.
Those exposed should go to prison haunted by the guilt of
blood spilt
spirits for the rest of their lives.

In the Memory of Injustice
In the Memory of Fong Lee,
In the memory of all victims of police brutality,
In the memory of a tragedy translated to travesty
In the memory of a planted gun, conspiracies and sons lost
under the
sun,
The Videotape was lost and they thought it was all done. They
were
wrong:
For those that judge Fong Lee for possibly being down with
gangs like
his life was worth less
like a racist radio show host that wants attention or people that
misunderstand with ignorance,
I was a former gang member, so that kid could've been me.
My last name is Lee too and I'm lucky enough to still breathe
and if
this happened to me,
I would've never had the chance for this passion to give back to
community.
More than ever, open up arms to outreach and unite
movements together
for every community that's had their hearts ripped open from
the core,
by wild boars in blue unifoms, with no conscious this nonsense
of
violence,
we will not be silent to sirens of cyanide on our side of the city.
Cause its not injustice for just us, there's a whole history of
conspiracy.
Stand with me 'cause the next tragedy could be in your family
so we
suffocate from this case,
skeptical to breathe and only Justice will give us the oxygen to
be
treated as Human Beings.
In the Memory of Injustice

Tou SaiKo Lee
4.24.2009