LaToya Ratlieff was peacefully protesting in Florida when she witnessed a cop push a girl to the ground while she was kneeling. A ruckus broke out and, not long after, a Fort Lauderdale police officer began firing rubber bullets into the crowd. She was struck in the face, suffering skull and right eye injuries. Now, she is speaking out and demanding something be done to prevent this from happening the next time.
Speaking with CNN, Ratlieff detailed the extent of her injuries, revealing that she is unsure if she will ever be able to see again out of her right eye. She will visit doctors this week to assess the damage. She also laid out what she wants from the Fort Lauderdale police department.
&#8220;I want the Fort Lauderdale police department to be held accountable. I think it&#8217;s important that there are some reforms that are put in place so something like this can never happen again,&#8221; she said. Her facial injuries are still very prominent.
&#8220;I think that I would like to understand what happened,&#8221; she continued. &#8220;Understand what message or direction was provided to the officers before they arrived to the event &#8212; not only for me because there&#8217;s another image of an individual who was shot in the head &#8212; so I would like to understand the guidance they received that day that caused several people to be injured at a protest about police brutality.&#8221;
Watch her speak on the issue below.
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