One year ago, Inside Edition Digital’s Stephanie Officer told the story of Shereese Francis, a woman who died at the hands of police.
She spoke with Sunny, Shereese’s best friend, and Shauna, Shereese’s sister, to learn how the incident unfolded.
On March 15, 2012, Shereese’s mom and older sister call 311 for help with trying to get her to take her schizophrenia medication. This was something they would do on occasion. They would call 311, and the ambulance would come. They would then take her to a local hospital in Queens in New York City.
On this day, the NYPD showed up, and the interaction between them and Shereese escalated.
Shauna, who witnessed the whole thing, said several police officers came down to the basement and tried to subdue Shereese.
She tried to run and get away, but she wound up on the bed. One of the officers had her face down on the bed with his full body weight on top of her and his knee in her back, Shauna said.
This, according to the medical examiner, caused her death.
After the incident, there was no arrest.
“This is a story about a woman who died at the hands of police. It’s a story about race, and it’s a story about justice,” Stephanie said.
What was discovered was highlighted on The Breakdown, where the story behind the story is shared.