Eleanor Bumpurs faced many challenges with her health. She battled with mental health problems, but still, the elderly woman was able to live on her own – if only she’d been able to get the help she deserved.
Aside from her neighbors harassing her, maintenance refused to fix the things broken in her home! She’d complained to the housing authority, but they’d done nothing. Bumpurs decided to withhold her $98.65 rent until her apartment’s issues could be fixed – as was her right – but this would prove to be a grave mistake.
Because she spoke out, the housing authority decided to evict her after she missed only one month’s rent. They called in the city police and, without investigating, the police pounded on her door and demanded she open up! When she refused, they busted into her home with weapons drawn – and shot her dead with a 12 gauge shotgun.
Of course, Black community leaders wanted Bumpur’s family to get justice for her death, but when the case went to court, the cop who murdered her got off scot-free. When Bumpur’s family sued the city for $10 million, the city threw them a small settlement and closed the case.
Bumpurs’ story, like countless others, reminds us that no one is out of bounds when it comes to the police murdering our people. We must continue to fight for justice and for police accountability.