“In February 2015, Orta had been arrested and sent to Rikers Island. At intake, everyone knew his name. He told me the COs taunted him about the Garner video. “You’re ours now,” he claims they said. “Not so tough without your camera.” • The threats continued. When his cell block was put on lockdown, his anxiety spiked. Lockdown meant Orta was restricted from participating in the preparation of his own food. On March 3rd, 2015, Orta’s cell block was served a meal of corn, cabbage, bread, juice, and meatloaf. He didn’t touch it. He’d fallen ill a few times after eating the food at Rikers and was convinced he was being targeted and poisoned. • “Eat, inmate,” a CO commanded, banging Orta’s cell with a baton. The guards were all standing too close, watching too intently as the others ate. This kind of attention was unusual. He saw others from his cell block staring down into their meatloaf, forks frozen in midair. “We’re not going anywhere until you eat,” a CO said and entered Orta’s cell. He hit Orta with his baton, hurled slurs, promised a citation for refusing orders. “How many days in SHU you want?” • Orta rattles his chair as he tells me this part of the story. “He tried to bend me up,” he says, then shows me how, miming his arms being twisted behind his back. • Some of the prisoners had eaten everything quickly, and now they had strange looks on their faces. Orta could see a man in a nearby cell. He opened his mouth and Orta leaned forward to hear what he had to say, but instead of words, blood flowed from the man’s parted lips. He was vomiting blood. Others were vomiting blood; some were on the floor of their cells, clawing at their own bodies....” - @chloecooperjones • • the scariest part about this story is that it’s not a movie, a book or an old tale about the past. this is happening right now, today, in OUR world.💔 • • what are we doing to make this place better than how we found it? • • • • • • • • • • • #ripericgarner #ramseyorta #icantbreathe #justice #injustice #2020election #flyyrxpopulationxpodcast #podcast #podcasts #fortheculture #hiphopblog #mentality #mentalhealthmatters #media #flyyrxpopulation #theverge #worldpeace #commUNITYovercompetition (at United States) https://www.instagram.com/p/BvPOlqhFPaA/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1kasgrdfub5kw
