If Bystanders Had Helped Carlishia Hood That Day, Maybe Her Son Wouldn’t Have Intervened

On Monday, June 26, Chicago’s State Attorney’s Office officially dropped first-degree murder charges along with other charges against Carlisha Hood and her 14-year-old son. On June 18, Hood had an exchange with Jeremy Brown, 32, in a Chicago restaurant. According to authorities, Hood texted her teenage son to come help her and he brought along a registered firearm with him.

A disturbing clip that has circulated online showed Brown threatening to “knock [Hood] out” and then becoming violent, punching Hood several times. After the incident, Hood’s son shot Brown and he sustained several gunshot wounds to the back. Brown was pronounced dead shortly after. Hood and her son turned themselves in to authorities last week.

After it was announced that Hood and her son wouldn’t face any charges, people on social media sounded off about whether or not it was the right call. However, they are the victims in this entire ordeal. Not only was the mother violently assaulted by Brown, but onlookers used the moment to not help Hood but to record her being punched and then removed themselves from an uncomfortable situation.

Her 14-year-old son should have never been put in the position to protect her. But because no one else intervened, he had no choice. The fact that folks would rather record a Black woman being punched in the head by a man than help her is inexplicably upsetting. Illinois’ self-defense laws allows someone to use force to defend not only themselves but other people as well. That was the justification for dropping the charges, though Hood has filed a complaint against the city of Chicago and five police officers.

Her attorneys claim that Hood was falsely arrested and maliciously prosecuted. They also maintain that she has suffered emotional distress. “When a woman is violently attacked by a man, an unarmed woman, then she shouldn’t be arrested,” Hood’s attorney Brandon Brown said. “If your mother or sister or daughter were attacked in a restaurant when she is trying to order a cheeseburger, would you expect that she would be arrested?”

Brown shouldn’t have to paint Hood as someone’s sister or daughter for her to be considered worthy of protection. But sadly, this is the reality for Black women.