“Join us as we remember Kajieme [Powell] and stand united against violence,” the Network stated.
The vigil is planned to take place at noon on Wednesday at the Carnahan Courthouse in Saint Louis.
On August 19, 2014, Saint Louis police shot and killed Powell, an African-American mentally ill man who stole donuts and energy drinks from a store. The store’s owners called the Saint Louis police, who killed Powell within seconds upon arrival. A bystander video recorded the encounter with a mobile telephone.
Powell was killed only a few miles from the place where another African American, Michael Brown, was also killed by Ferguson police in August 2014.
The Network characterized Powell as a “talented young artist, a kind and soft spoken you man by nature.” Powell, it stated, was very appreciative of, and loved by, his family.
“Kajieme was an avid reader who spent countless hours in the library. His family continues to mourn his loss. His life mattered and he deserved more than 23 seconds of consideration before being killed.”
Police brutality is an ongoing and acute social problem in the United States that has been brought to public attention primarily through online media and social networks.
The Network organizes response events in cases of police brutality and racial injustice in Ferguson, but also for other incidents across the United States, according to the organization’s website.
