The second vice chairwoman for Minnesota’s Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, who previously vowed to “dismantle” the Minneapolis Police Department amid widespread Black Lives Matter (BLM) protests, is now calling for tougher crime laws after she was violently carjacked this week.
In a lengthy Sept. 7 post on Facebook, Shivanthi Sathanandan claimed the carjacking incident took place in the driveway of her Minneapolis home in front of her children, who are aged 4 and 7.
The incident left her with a broken leg, deep lacerations on her head, and bruising and cuts all over her body.
Ms. Sathanandan shared a photo of herself with what appeared to be blood pouring down her face alongside the post.
“Four very young men, all carrying guns, beat me violently down to the ground in front of our kids,” she wrote. “The young men held our neighbors up at gunpoint when they ran over and tried to help me. All in broad daylight.”
“Look at my face in the picture. This is the face of a mother who just had the [expletive] beaten out of her,” she continued. “A mother whose only thought was, ‘let me run far enough and fight hard enough so that my kids have a chance to get away.’ This is the face of a mother who just listened to her four-year-old daughter screaming non-stop, her 7-year-old son wailing for someone to come help because bad guys are murdering his Mama in the back yard, her neighbors screaming in outrage... all while being beaten with guns and kicks and fists.”
Attackers Must be ‘Held Accountable’
“These men knew what they were doing. I have NO DOUBT they have done this before. Yet they are still on OUR STREETS. Killing mothers. Giving babies psychological trauma that a lifetime of therapy cannot erase. With no hesitation and no remorse,” Ms. Sathanandan wrote.“I’m now part of the statistics. I wasn’t silent when I fought these men to save my life and my babies, and I won’t be silent now. We need to get illegal guns off of our streets, catch these young people who are running wild creating chaos across our city, and HOLD THEM IN CUSTODY AND PROSECUTE THEM,” she said.
“Look at my face. REMEMBER ME when you are thinking about supporting letting juveniles and young people out of custody to roam our streets instead of HOLDING THEM ACCOUNTABLE FOR THEIR ACTIONS,” the Democrat wrote.
A spokesperson for the Minneapolis Police Department told The Epoch Times in an emailed statement that no arrests have been made. An investigation remains ongoing.
“MPD will not be commenting any further except to say that MPD regularly collaborates with law enforcement partners throughout the region in efforts to identify and communicate any possible pattern or trend in crime that impacts the citizens we serve,” the spokesperson said. “This is true in the violent carjacking case of Shivanthi Sathanandan as well as for all other victims of crime across the region.”
‘Dismantle the Minneapolis Police Department’
The alleged attack on Ms. Sathanandan and her subsequent comments come roughly three years after she accused police of having “systematically failed the Black Community,” and vowed to “dismantle the Minneapolis Police Department.”“MPD has systematically failed the Black Community, they have failed ALL OF US. It’s time to build a new infrastructure that works for ALL communities,” she wrote. “If you are still disagreeing with that BASIC FACT, I’m not sure what to say to you.”
In her post on Thursday detailing the alleged carjacking, Ms. Sathanandan vowed that the criminals would not win.
“We need to take back our city. And this will not be the last you hear from me about this,” she said.
The Democrat concluded the lengthy post by thanking the “incredible Minneapolis 4th Precinct Officers, Mayor Frey, Chief O'Hara, Paramedics, neighbors, friends and DFL family” who “all came to our aide during this terrifying experience.”
“I’m so grateful for this community that wraps us in love,” she wrote.
