New Orleans, LA – On November 10, about 50 people gathered outside Orleans Parish Magistrate Court to demand justice for Erica Gabriel. Gabriel, a 54-year-old Black woman, was murdered by Shira Northcutt on October 29 around 2 a.m. in the parking lot of the Brothers gas station on Elysian Fields Avenue. Northcutt, a 44-year-old white woman, ran her over twice, killing her.
Protestors held signs outside the court that read “DA Jason Williams: Charge Shira Northcutt with Murder” and “Justice for Erica ‘Easy’ Gabriel”.
“We demand justice. [Northcutt] killed my sister, she should be in jail,” said Brandon Gabriel, Erica’s brother.
As reported by WVUE, while Gabriel was using an ATM machine at the gas station, Northcutt stole her purse. Gabriel confronted Northcutt who brought the bag in her car. She put her hands on the hood demanding her things back. Northcutt then accelerated her vehicle, ran over Gabriel, and reversed her car to run her over again as she was trapped underneath.
“We’ve known Erica our whole lives. She has a beautiful spirit. To know that her life was taken for something so petty, it hurts,” said Artesa Stevens, a friend of Gabriel, as she was waiting in the courthouse.
So far, Northcutt has only been charged with a hit-and-run. Protestors emphasized that this under-charging is yet another example of the blatant racial bias inherent to the American “justice” system. Had their roles been reversed, Gabriel would certainly have been charged with murder. Gabriel’s family and friends, joined by the New Orleans Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (NOAARPR), demanded that Northcutt be charged to the fullest extent with second-degree murder.
“We want this system to hold Shira Northcutt accountable. We the people are out here, we’re the taxpayers, we will be fighting till we get Erica’s family justice,” shouted Shanta Scott, the mother of Jace Lee Scott and a member of NOAARPR.
“I am tired of demanding justice for my people and my community, but I’m going to stand here because it’s my duty to. We’ve got to tear down this racist system. Black people should be in control of our own justice,” said Miu Sims of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization.
After the magistrate hearing, the case is now under the review of District Attorney Jason Williams, where he can add and upgrade the charges. To keep up the pressure, NOAARPR will be holding a phone zap on November 11 to call the DA’s office and demand murder charges. If the office is closed on Veteran’s Day, the organization stated it would leave messages and call again on Thursday November 12.
#NewOrleansLA #LA #InJusticeSystem #NAARPR #NOAARPR
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