In America, the level of mistrust between Black citizens and the police is approaching a dangerous apex and the response from activists and citizens alike has been robust. The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), which has been one of the several groups leading the charge in addressing such matters, announced it will look in to the mysterious death of Ethiopian-American lawyer Abe Dabela (pictured).
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In 2014, Gugsa Abraham “Abe” Dabela, a 35-year-old rising attorney in Connecticut, was driving home during the early morning hours on April 5th that year. Police claim he took his own life after he flipped over his Mercedes SUV in the town of Redding, just moments away from his home. A semi-automatic handgun was found inside the vehicle, adding to the mystery of Dabela’s loss.
One could ask, why would someone with so much promise in his career end his own life? And further, as noted by the family, why hasn’t there been an investigation into the possibility of a homicide?
Dabela’s death was ruled a self-inflicted death by a gunshot to the head by the Office of the Medical Examiner last October, yet the family has been steadily refuting this claim.
The Connecticut NAACP and its Norwalk Branch will gather on Wednesday, August 5th, at the Redding Police Department to announce the launch of the investigation in to what happened to Dabela. The gathering will mark a full year that Dabela has been gone.
The family attorney and the Dabela family will attend the press conference, and the NAACP has formed a team of former law enforcement officials and attorneys to aid in the investigation. The NAACP has not made any public claims about what might have happened to Dabela in 2014, but Connecticut NAACP President Scot X. Esdaile has remarked that Black people have died under curious circumstances in past years and is hoping to find the root truth of the matter.
“The Dabela family has questions and it’s time for answers,” said Esdaile. “At the same time, a mountain of misinformation concerning this case continues to build in the media and we intend to bring clarity to the issues at hand.”
“We urge NAACP members and other concerned members of the public to join us in Redding to learn why people are increasingly calling for justice on behalf of Abe added NAACP Norwalk President Darnell D. Crosland.
The NAACP and the Dabela family has asked the public to offer any information they have that could assist in the investigation by e-mailing info@justice4abe.com or to call the Connecticut NAACP at 860-523-9962. The social media hashtag used to carry on the conversation is #Justice4Abe and one can find further contacts on the matter on these Facebook and Twitter pages.
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