Merawi Gerima demands charges in the Brown shooting
Merawi GerimaOrganizer with the D.C. Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression
Gerima accused Homeland Security of using Brown’s vehicle as a pretext for an attempted killing and demanded charges.
“It shows in fact that Homeland Security was doing exactly what they did in Minneapolis with Renee Good, using the vehicle as a pretext to try and murder somebody in cold blood. We want charges. We want federal agents charged, we want MPD and investigators charged. You can't nearly murder someone in D.C. and get to go back to work, continue patrolling the streets of D.C.”
Reporting
Where this statement fits
Was HSI Agent Benedict Bebber justified in firing at Phillip M. Brown?
On October 17, 2025, Homeland Security Investigations agent Benedict Bebber fired multiple rounds at Phillip M. Brown's Dodge Durango during a traffic stop on Benning Road in Washington, D.C. Brown was not hit. The Department of Homeland Security said Brown deliberately tried to run officers down and that Bebber fired defensive shots while fearing for his life and others. Brown's lawyers said no officer was in the vehicle's path and pointed to bullet strikes through the driver's side. Two released Metropolitan Police Department body-camera clips capture the gunfire and aftermath but do not show Bebber firing. A judge dismissed Brown's fleeing charge for insufficient evidence, and the U.S. Attorney declined to prosecute Bebber. The dispute is whether Brown's vehicle presented an imminent threat when Bebber fired.
Source and context
Reporting
About this source
DC News Now report on released body-camera footage and the response from D.C. Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression organizer Merawi Gerima.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Before the quotation
Gerima responded to the public release of body-camera footage from the traffic stop.
After the quotation
He called for federal agents, MPD and investigators to be charged.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
He unambiguously condemns the shooting as an attempted killing rather than justified defensive force.
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- Published here
Corrections to this statement
These notices document reporting corrections, classification changes, and topic-label updates.
Reporting correction
Correction to: Statement by Merawi Gerima
- Previous language
- It demonstrates that Homeland Security acted similarly to they did in Minneapolis with Renee Good, using the vehicle as an excuse to attempt to murder someone in cold blood. We demand charges. We want federal agents held accountable, as well as MPD and investigators. You cannot nearly take someone’s life in D.C. and simply return to work, continuing to patrol our streets.
- Corrected language
- It shows in fact that Homeland Security was doing exactly what they did in Minneapolis with Renee Good, using the vehicle as a pretext to try and murder somebody in cold blood. We want charges. We want federal agents charged, we want MPD and investigators charged. You can't nearly murder someone in D.C. and get to go back to work, continue patrolling the streets of D.C.
We showed a reworded version of Merawi Gerima's remarks as his exact words. The quotation now matches the DC News Now report word for word, and the line describing his call for charges now uses his wording.
This corrects our account of what happened.
DC News Now report on released body-camera footage and the response from D.C. Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression organizer Merawi Gerima.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)More from this case
Read the full caseAmnesty condemns the shooting
Amnesty International
“unlawful use of lethal force”Read statement
Not In Our Name says the circumstances did not justify firing
Not In Our Name
“It is not a reason to fire into his car, and it is not why the shooting was left out of two police reports.”Read statement
Bernadette Armand says the shooting lacked justification
“Though MPD only released a short clip of its officer's BWC footage, it underscores what attorneys for Mr. Brown asserted since the shooting—he was nearly killed by his own government for no reason.”Read statement
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- Merawi Gerima demands charges in the Brown shooting
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Last updated marks the most recent saved version of this published statement.
The Dispute Index. "Merawi Gerima demands charges in the Brown shooting". First published: 2026-09-22. Last updated: 2026-09-26. https://disputeindex.com/events/1483-gerima-accused-homeland-security-of-using-brown-s