Merawi Gerima is a Washington, D.C., filmmaker and community organizer affiliated with the D.C. Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression.
Case
HSI agent Benedict Bebber fired into Phillip Brown's vehicle during a D.C. traffic stop. DHS says Brown drove at officers; Brown's lawyers dispute that account. Released video captures the gunfire but not the trigger pull.
Role at the time: Organizer with the D.C. Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression
Statement summary
Gerima accused Homeland Security of using Brown’s vehicle as a pretext for an attempted killing and demanded charges.
“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.”
He unambiguously condemns the shooting as an attempted killing rather than justified defensive force.
Statement dates: April 7, 2026
Statement dates: April 7, 2026
Statement dates: April 7, 2026
