Lorenzo Collins
Encyclopedia
Lorenzo Collins was an African-American man with a history of mental illness
who was shot by Cincinnati police
while threatening officers with a brick
, subsequently dying from his injuries five days later at age twenty-five. During the previous three months of his life Collins had been in and out of the Hamilton County
mental health system. Many experts involved in the case believed that Collins, who was a violent psychotic, should never have been released from treatment to begin with. This case predated the 2001 Cincinnati riots
by more than four years. The public criticism of the event was very heated, with one local community leader, Reverend James W. Jones, stating, "They let us blow off steam and then it's back to business as usual. This time the black community should shut this town down. Hell, it's time we stopped playing games." The police were not prosecuted for their actions.
Mental illness
A mental disorder or mental illness is a psychological or behavioral pattern generally associated with subjective distress or disability that occurs in an individual, and which is not a part of normal development or culture. Such a disorder may consist of a combination of affective, behavioural,...
who was shot by Cincinnati police
Police
The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...
while threatening officers with a brick
Brick
A brick is a block of ceramic material used in masonry construction, usually laid using various kinds of mortar. It has been regarded as one of the longest lasting and strongest building materials used throughout history.-History:...
, subsequently dying from his injuries five days later at age twenty-five. During the previous three months of his life Collins had been in and out of the Hamilton County
Hamilton County, Ohio
As of 2000, there were 845,303 people, 346,790 households, and 212,582 families residing in the county. The population density was 2,075 people per square mile . There were 373,393 housing units at an average density of 917 per square mile...
mental health system. Many experts involved in the case believed that Collins, who was a violent psychotic, should never have been released from treatment to begin with. This case predated the 2001 Cincinnati riots
2001 Cincinnati riots
The Cincinnati riots of 2001 were the largest urban disorders in the United States since the Los Angeles riots of 1992. The four days of rioting were a reaction to the fatal shooting in Cincinnati, Ohio of Timothy Thomas, a 19-year-old black male, by Steven Roach, a white police officer, during an...
by more than four years. The public criticism of the event was very heated, with one local community leader, Reverend James W. Jones, stating, "They let us blow off steam and then it's back to business as usual. This time the black community should shut this town down. Hell, it's time we stopped playing games." The police were not prosecuted for their actions.
See also
- Timothy Thomas
- Roger Owensby, JrRoger Owensby, JrRoger Owensby, Jr. was an African American man who died November 7, 2000 after a foot chase and scuffle with the Cincinnati Police Department in Roselawn, Cincinnati, Ohio at 8 p.m....
- Andre SherrerAndre SherrerAndre Sherrer was a man fatally shot by Cincinnati police officer Michael Schulte on Sunday, February 9, 2003 in the neighborhood of Northside. Sherrer, a convicted felon, had been released in July 2002 after serving a fourteen year prison sentence for aggravated robbery. Schulte was responding to...