Dateline NBC episode What Happened to Anton Black reportedly explores the unfortunate death of 19-year-old Anton Black in 2018, while the police were restraining him. Lester Holt has reported the case around Maryland on Dateline: Secrets Uncovered. Anton Black reportedly stopped breathing while he was being restrained and pinned down by the officers, using neck compression.
Anton Black lived in Greensboro, Maryland. The entire town was shattered by the misfortune that had fallen on the young boy. The police officers present at the scene were questioned about their actions - one of them even had controversies in the past.
Former medical examiner from Maryland, David Fowler had initially ruled out the cause of death as 'undetermined'. However, Anton's family filed a lawsuit against Fowler, the police officers present at the scene of the crime and the two police chiefs involved. As reported on Dateline, a white civilian was also present when Anton was under hand and leg restraints.
What do we know about Anton Black?
Anton Black was a 19-year-old resident of Greensboro, Maryland and was a beloved individual of the town. He had been elected twice as the homecoming king of his high school and had outstanding records as an athlete.
Anton's father, Antone Black had reportedly said in a statement:
"He was a star wide receiver on the football team and Mid-Atlantic champion in the 100, 200 and high jump. He was, you know, a very exciting young man to see. I used to love to see him run, oh and jump."
After graduating high school, Anton went on to college and pursued a career in modelling. But things became difficult for him in the summer of 2018.
As per Antone's statements:
"To me, all of a sudden he got moody, he was crying, he was upset all the time."
Eventually, Anton was hospitalized and was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and also had signs of schizophrenia, as per reports. Two weeks before his death, his father reportedly told the police that his son was behaving strangely.
What happened to Anton Black on the day of his death?
On September 15, 2018, Anton Black was out playing basketball in a local park. He had just been discharged from the hospital 10 days back. While on his way, Anton came across Xavier, his 12-year-old neighbour. They had known each other closely over the years.
As the two were walking back home, a couple reportedly witnessed Anton putting Xavier in a headlock. The time was around 7 p.m. and Xavier later told in his statements that he felt like Anton was about to throw him into the river, while they were crossing Choptank River Bridge.
The witnesses reportedly asked Xavier whether he wanted them to call 911 and he nodded. According to the woman, they intervened and described it like this:
"threatened him and challenged him … if nothing, to get him to stop,...But that didn’t work. He just stared straight ahead like a zombie. Not even a peep. You would expect somebody to say gget out of my face! — especially since this is a black teenager and it’s a white guy yelling at him. He’s gonna say something! But no, not a word."
Moments later, Thomas W. Webster IV from the Greensboro Police Department appeared at the scene and dispersed the fight.
Webster then told Anton that he needed to handcuff him and take him into custody. Anton somehow managed to escape and started running towards his house. Webster chased him down in his patrol car and two officers from neighbouring police departments joined him. A civilian passing by on a motorcycle also tagged along in the pursuit.
On reaching Anton's house, Webster found that he found the teen had locked himself in a vehicle. Webster immediately broke the driver's side window and used a taser on him.
Webster reportedly said in a statement:
"His behavior was so erratic and dangerous that we had to get him into custody. My end goal... was to get him subdued. He wasn’t responding to — to orders, uh, to stop resisting."
Anton escaped from the passenger side and reached a wooden ramp near his house. The officers wrestled him down to the ground as Anton called out to his mother saying:
"Thank you. You were always there."
Anton was eventually restrained by the police and was lying on his stomach. His hands and legs were cuffed and the officers also applied neck compression. As Anton's mother appeared at the scene, they reportedly told her that her son needed help and they should take him to the hospital.
All of a sudden, Anton became limp and stopped breathing while being restrained. He was given CPR but it was already too late. Anton Black just a few steps away from his home, reports.
Was Greensboro police officer Webster previously involved in a case of racism?
As reported on Dateline, the main investigating officer involved in Anton's case, Thomas Webster IV, already had a controversial past, when he was appointed by the Greensboro Police Department. He used to work for Dover police and was subject to a legal settlement in 2016, that involved an African-American person held in his custody.
Following his transfer to Greensboro, the African-American community there was disturbed, owing to his previous involvement in a case of racism. The incident with Anton further escalated the whole situation.
It is yet another case of brutal action of the police against African-American citizens in the United States. As reported by Sportskeeda, the last time we saw something similar was in 2020, when George Floyd, an African-American citizen, was killed while being restrained by a white police officer.
Was the initial medical investigation a cover up for crimes committed?
Reportedly, the initial medical reports submitted by former Maryland medical examiner David Fowler stated that the cause of death was 'undetermined'. The 'underlying health conditions' and a history of bipolarity were cited as additional factors in Anton's death.
However, Dr. Andrew Baker, who conducted George Floyd's autopsy clearly mentioned that it was a homicide. The excessive use of force on the neck resulted in asphyxiation and eventually, death. As a result, Fowler was also sued for the cover up of Anton Black's murder.
Almost two years after Anton's tragic death, his family filed a federal lawsuit against the police officers involved, the medical examiner and the two police chiefs who ignored the whole thing. According to the lawsuit:
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"Anton Black died because police employed excessive force, laying him out prone on his stomach, lying on top of him for approximately six minutes and approximately five minutes after he was handcuffed, and folding his legs towards the sky in a manner that further compromised his ability to breathe."
As per reports, a group called The Coalition for Justice for Anton Black was formed after the death of Anton Black. His family also joined the collective.
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