Jay-Z’s charity arm, Team ROC, is aiding Jermelle English Jr., a Wisconsin man who was wrongfully and violently arrested while holding his one-year-old child. Kenosha Police launched an internal inquiry after the incident, believing he was escaping a car accident. In this scenario, Team ROC is assisting.
The disturbing event occurred in July inside an Applebee’s restaurant, where many officers were shown on cell phone footage detaining English. The officers were seen violently manhandling him while he sat on the restaurant floor, holding his infant and claiming innocence.
Following the removal of the baby, the police restrained English on the ground, with one officer apparently striking him repeatedly.Surprisingly, despite the fact that the police realized they had detained the wrong person, English was charged with resisting arrest and disorderly behaviour.
Jay-Z’s Team ROC has hired lawyer Alex Spiro Jr. to represent English in his quest for justice. Dania Diaz, Managing Director of Team ROC, called the Kenosha Police Department’s careless arrest of English and endangering his young kid a terrible occurrence. The purpose of Team ROC is to seek justice and hold the Kenosha police officers responsible for their conduct.
Jay-Z and Team ROC have a history of assisting victims of police violence with legal representation. According to hip hop dx, in 2019, they extended their support to Dravon Ames, his pregnant fiancée Iesha Harper, and their two daughters, who had firearms pulled on them by Phoenix police following an incident linked to alleged shoplifting at Family Dollar.
Team ROC, along with Yo Gotti, filed various cases against Mississippi’s renowned Parchman Farm jail in 2021. The facility’s high fatality rate and terrible mistreatment of inmates’ fundamental human needs sparked these legal challenges.
In April, Roc Nation’s social justice branch made strides by providing legal assistance to more than 200 inmates at Parchman jail. This endeavor drew the attention of the United States Justice Department, which felt forced to investigate the harsh conditions at the penitentiary in light of the numerous complaints.
The Parchman prison investigations resulted in significant reforms, prompting Team ROC to abandon their lawsuit against the facility. The inclusion of working ambulances, renovated medical facilities, upgraded amenities such as baths and heating systems, and the introduction of recreational activities for convicts such as basketball, flag football, and boxing were among the upgrades.