Black Lives Matter: Where are Scott Aldridge and Bryan Myers now? Cleveland cops back to work after Tanisha Anderson's death
Tanisha Anderson was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and was on medication. Her family members were no strangers to the behavior caused by the diagnosis, but on November 13, 2014, they needed help. Unable to cope, they dialed 911 hoping for professional help. Instead of an ambulance, the family was met by Detective Scott Aldridge and his partner Bryan Myers. What happened next is a painful reminder of the apparent power police have in America.
There is no clarity on the sequence of events, but certain things remain facts — the cops attempted to take Anderson into custody. The family alleged that Aldridge "placed his knee onto her back, placed his weight on her and placed Tanisha in handcuffs.” Within minutes, Anderson stopped breathing. Another life was reportedly taken by the police, with consequences far lighter than what many hoped.
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As is the countless other cases of African-Americans whose deaths were attributed to cops, Aldridge and Myers were reportedly never indicted or faced charges for their actions. What happened to them? We investigate as part of this special series on #BlackLivesMatter.
What we know about Aldridge and Meyers
Detective Aldridge is a seven-year veteran in the Cleavland Division of Police. Prior to the death of Anderson, he was suspended twice. His first suspension was in April 2013 for violating the division's taser use-of-force and ethics policies.
On January 2, 2012, Aldridge left the scene after witnessing the "accidental" use of a taser by another officer. He neither provided assistance to the officer or the injured woman nor did he call medical services. Those actions led to a three-day suspension without pay.
He was also disciplined for his role in the infamous police chase on November 29, 2012. Aldridge was one of the 60-plus cars that chased two unarmed suspects — Timothy Russell and Malissa Williams. He was one of 13 officers to fire 137 rounds at the car, but was not one of the officers who fatally shot Russell and Williams. The actions resulted in a second suspension, but he returned to duty soon afer.
Not much is known about Myers, who was on the first few months of the job when the incident occured. He was being trained by Aldridge at the time.
Punishment for the death of Anderson
While in most cases, officers have been fired, Aldridge and Myers got away without any consequences at all. A three-year long probe by various agencies including the Ohio Attorney General's Office fizzled out after a grand jury declined to indict the duo. Despite the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner ruling her death a homicide, jurors found no reason to indict the cops in February 2018.
Following that verdict, the police department decided to punish the two cops in the most minimal way possible. Aldridge received a 10-day suspension while Myers was issued a written warning. In the letters, the department said it was disciplining them for "failing to notify Cleveland EMS in a timely manner." The death of Anderson? Nothing more than a forgotten footnote. Adding insult to injury for Anderson's family, Aldridge's suspension was reduced to just three days on appeal.
Not much information is available about the two officers, but it is likely that they are still serving as police officers. Since they have been cleared by the grand jury and were not fired, they are able to continue working as policemen. Meanwhile, Anderson's name has been pushed to the backseat over the recent cases of police violence. The city and country may have forgotten Anderson, but her memory lives on in the family who witnessed her horrific death.