Activists pushing for the arrest of Ed Buck in the death of a young black man from a drug overdose in his apartment posted signs in the yard of his Laurel Avenue apartment building on Monday and called Buck out after spotting him inside the building’s courtyard.
“You are predator, you are a deviant,” shouted one of the activists at Buck, who also stopped one person coming out of the building and people walking on the sidewalk to complain about Buck.
Jasmine Abdullah of the Pasadena chapter of Black Lives Matter suggested a demonstration in front of Buck’s apartment building at a meeting on Saturday of the L.A. County Human Relations Commission.
Buck didn’t respond to the demonstrators and returned to his second-floor apartment whose windows appeared to be covered entirely with white bedsheets. Almost all of the signs were removed as of yesterday.
The L.A. County Sheriff’s Department currently is investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of Gemmel Moore, 26, in Buck’s apartment on July 27. In an initial investigation, the L.A. County Coroner’s Office deemed the death an accident caused by a meth crystal overdose. Drugs and drug paraphernalia were found in Buck’s apartment. Moore’s mother and others claim that Buck paid to fly him from Texas to Los Angeles, where he used to live, and to come to his apartment and do drugs. Buck has not responded to the allegations, although his lawyer, Seymour Amster, has denied them. Amster says Buck was merely offering Moore, a self-confessed sex worker, his support.
After protests from Moore’s mother, LaTisha Nixon, and other family members and supporters and calls from L.A. City Councilmember Mike Bonin and West Hollywood City Councilmember Lindsey Horvath, Sheriff Jim McDonnell announced that the case would be investigated and the L.A. County District Attorney has granted limited immunity to other sex workers willing to testify about their experience with Buck.
Since Moore’s death allegations of Buck engaging other young black men in drug use have emerged. Several of those young men have given their stories to Jasmyne Cannick, a media strategist who is working with Moore’s family. Cannick has published those on her website along with screenshots of messages exchanged on Adam4Adam, a gay hookup app, and of text messages to young black men from a phone that carries Buck’s number.
Buck is well-known locally for his advocacy for a ban on the retail sale of fur products. The City Council adopted that ban in 2011 after it was introduced by then new Councilmember John D’Amico, for whom Buck campaigned. Buck also has been a regular donor to other national, state and local Democratic Party candidates.
Of what consequence is the “cost” of libel when one’s reputation has been sullied and dragged through the mud? These 3 people went on private property,posted outrageous and defamatory things, and then were harassing passersby. Legal protest is fine, but these people are reckless, and if you do a little research, have a somewhat questionable agenda. Watch the video! The police and D.A. have thus far chosen not to prosecute Mr. Buck. Your cryptic comment about the intolerance of liberals is befuddling.
Frank,
I would have to say that libel, as it is costly, is likely not at play here. Speaking of our (very perfect) system of laws, especially in the death of a black man possibly at the hands of a white man of some notoriety – protesters are hopefully being careful and not harassing – as protest is part of our fundamental rights.
I said before people here claim to be such liberals – you have little idea of how loudly your intolerance cries off these pages.
Jeez, Erik, murder aside, you are a little behind the times on the drug war. New report/s indicate/s that legalizing drugs does more to help people stop using drugs than locking them up helps them. https://theintercept.com/2017/09/26/brazils-latest-outbreak-of-drug-gang-violence-highlights-the-real-culprit-the-war-on-drugs/
Charles, unless you were actually there, I don’t think you know more than anyone else what happened. I feel for this family. Ed Buck may or may not have contributed to this young man’s death, but I see why they want answers. I also feel for the people who live in his building, who are now living in with this controversy swirling around them at every moment.
I’m In. Let me know when the next protest is. I have seen too many good people’s lives ruined by meth so I am all for publicly exposing those people who are pushing or selling it. A human being died because someone else providing meth. He should be charged with at least involuntary manslaughter. The man died in Buck’s apartment from a meth overdose. it’s not that difficult to figure out who contributed to his death. silence equals death. If people keep making excuses for Buck and defending him this sort of thing will continue. West Hollywood Sheriff’s Department needs… Read more »
I’ve seen a few interviews given by Jasmyne Cannick, Gemmel Moore’s media strategist. She claims that Ed Buck waited until these young men passed out from drugs (at his house) and then furtively injected them with more drugs rendering them unconscious. I’m not sure what kind of meth Buck uses, but I’m pretty sure it wasn’t the kind that makes you pass out. Methamphetamine is an upper. One does not pass out when using it. It was developed by the Japanese and given to soldiers in war time. It gives the user crazy manic energy. This is not a drug… Read more »
Harassing neighbors, posting libelous signage on private property,and screaming slanderous statements about a resident of West Hollywood is abhorrent and outrageous. We have laws and due process in this country. If the D.A and Sheriffs Dept. find sufficient evidence to proceed with a case against Mr. Buck, then a procedure will be followed. Up until now there are a slew of allegations from a so called media strategist (whatever that is) and an aggressive trio of demonstrators (harassers) who clearly don’t believe in our system of laws.