Justice for Tony McDade

london, united kingdom 20200603 a protester holds a placard with black trans lives matter during the black lives matter protest at hyde park several protest have been sparked by the recent killing of george floyd, a black man who died in police custody in minneapolis, usa photo by dave rushensopa imageslightrocket via getty images

(Image credit: SOPA Images)

published 4 June 2020

Tony McDade, a 38-year-old Black trans man, was shot and killed by police in Tallahassee, Florida, two days after the murder of George Floyd.
The officer who killed McDade still has not been named, due to a Florida law that classifies police officers involved in shootings as victims and thus guarantees their anonymity.
Donate to McDade's family, sign petitions demanding justice, and donate to bail funds for protestors below.

On Wednesday, May 27, two days after the murder of George Floyd by white police officer Derek Chauvin, police shot and killed another Black man. Tony McDade, a 38-year-old Black trans man, was shot by an unnamed police officer in Tallahassee, Florida, making him at least the 12th American trans person to be killed in 2020, according (opens in new tab) to the Human Rights Campaign.

Neighbors and other witnesses at the Leon Arms apartment complex have strongly disputed the police account of McDade's death. As Rolling Stone reports (opens in new tab), the Tallahassee Police Department claimed McDade was the suspect in a stabbing earlier that day, while Police Chief Lawrence Revell said McDade had pointed a gun at officers, adding "the suspect was in possession of a handgun, and a bloody knife was found at the scene."

But Clifford Butler, a resident of the Leon Arms apartments, told (opens in new tab) local news station WFSU that the police officer—who has not been named, in accordance with a Florida law that classifies officers involved as shootings as victims, and therefore guarantees their anonymity—did not warn McDade before opening fire. Butler said he saw the officer, who witnesses have identified as white, "just jump out the car, swing the door open and just start shooting," adding, "I never heard ‘Get down, freeze, I’m an officer’—nothing. I just heard gun shots."

Another resident, speaking on Facebook Live after the shooting, as Rolling Stone reports (opens in new tab), recounted, "They said ‘Stop moving, n****r,’ and then they shot him after he stopped moving."

Police Chief Lawrence Revell told (opens in new tab) WFSU that the unnamed officer had acted "in accordance with their training," and maintained that they were not obliged to warn McDade before they opened fire. "I would say in normal circumstances, and again not the specifics of this case, but if an officer is confronted with someone pointing a gun at them, but in those type of situations, there’s obviously not time to shout 'put the gun down, put the gun down' type of things—you’re defending your life at that point," Revell said. The Tallahassee Police Department is conducting an "internal investigation" into the fatal shooting of McDade, he added.

Tori Cooper, community engagement director of the Human Rights Campaign's Transgender Justice Initiative, told Rolling Stone, "The Human Rights Campaign and the entire transgender and non-binary community demand accountability and answers for Tony’s death—and countless violent deaths of trans people, Black people and, disproportionately, Black transgender people. While these deaths are visible due to recordings and social media, we know far too many go completely ignored."

"Black people, LGBTQ people, and especially all LGBTQ people of color are at greater risk for violence every day in this country," Cooper added (opens in new tab). "This must end."

How can I help demand justice for Tony McDade?

Sign a petition calling for justice for Tony McDade here (opens in new tab).

Donate to a fundraiser to support Tony's mom, Wanda McDade, and his family in their fight for justice, here (opens in new tab).

Donate to the Florida Bail Fund for protestors here (opens in new tab).

Donate to the Freedom Fund, a bail fund for LGBTQIA+ people, here (opens in new tab).

Split a donation between bail funds across the country here (opens in new tab).

Donate to Black Lives Matter here (opens in new tab).

Sign the Black Lives Matter petition to #DefundThePolice here (opens in new tab).

Donate to the Movement for Black Lives, a coalition of Black organizations across the U.S., here (opens in new tab).

Black Lives Matter

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Emily Dixon is a British journalist who’s contributed to CNN, Teen Vogue, Time, Glamour, The Guardian, Wonderland, The Big Roundtable, Bust, and more, on everything from mental health to fashion to political activism to feminist zine collectives. She’s also a committed Beyoncé, Kacey Musgraves, and Tracee Ellis Ross fan, an enthusiastic but terrible ballet dancer, and a proud Geordie lass.