Latasha Harlins was a 15-year-old African-American girl who was brutally shot and killed by Soon Ja Doo, a 51-year-old Korean woman, on March 16, 1991, in Vermont Vista, Los Angeles.
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Wiki/Biography
Latasha Harlins was born on Thursday, January 1, 1976 (age 15 at the time of death) in East St. Louis, Illinois, United States. In 1981, his family moved from Illinois to South Central Los Angeles. Latasha was a student of Westchester High School in Los Angeles.
Family and ethnicity
Latasha Harlins was of African-American origin.
parents and siblings
Latasha Harlins’ father, Sylvester Wester Ackoff Sr., worked in a steel foundry, and her mother, Crystal Harlins, worked as a waitress at a local tavern in South Central Los Angeles. He had two younger siblings; a brother, Vester Ackoff Jr., and a sister, Christina. Her father, Ackoff Sr., was abusive towards her mother, Crystal Harlins, and he would attack her in front of Latasha and her younger siblings. Eventually, their marriage ended in the year 1983. On November 27, 1985, Latasha’s mother, Crystal Harlins, was shot and killed outside a Los Angeles nightclub. After this, Latasha was raised by her maternal grandmother, Ruth Harlins.
Death
On the morning of Saturday, March 16, 1991, Latasha Harlins was shot and killed by a Korean woman, Soon Ja Doo, at the Empire Liquor Store in Vermont Vista, Los Angeles.
Coming Soon Ja Du’s Empire Liquor Store
Reportedly, Du, the owner of the Empire Liquor Store, claimed that he noticed that Harlins was carrying a bottle of orange juice in her bag and asked Harlins if she wanted to pay for it, to which Harlins replied. Responded, “Which orange juice?” So, Du grabs Harlins’ sweater, accuses him of theft, and snatches his backpack. Harlins responded by punching Du twice, knocking Du to the ground. Harlins then retreated, but Du angrily threw a stool at her, but it did not hit Harlins. Harlins then picked up a bottle of orange juice that had fallen during the chaos, but Du snatched the bottle from him. Harlins then turned and tried to leave, but Du pulled a revolver from under the cash-counter and shot Harlins in the back of the head. Two eyewitnesses to the incident refuted Du’s claims and said that Du never asked Harlins about paying for the orange juice, instead, he called her a “bitch”. After viewing the store security camera videotape, police concluded that Harlins wanted to pay for the drinks because she had money in her hand.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kiw6Q9-lfXc
Trial and sentencing of Soon Ja Doo
Ja Du soon testified on his own behalf, and he claimed that he shot Harlins in self-defense because he believed his life was in danger. Du’s testimony was contradicted by two eyewitnesses and resurfaced video from a store security camera. The video specifically shows Dew shooting Harlins as he attempted to leave the store empty-handed. On November 15, 1991, the jury found Du guilty and returned a verdict that Du had fired the gun voluntarily.
Soon Ja Doo with her husband Billy Hyung Ki Doo
Since Du was guilty of murder, the jury recommended the maximum prison sentence for the crime, which was 16 years. However, trial judge Joyce Carlin did not approve the jury’s recommendation and instead sentenced Du to five years of probation, 400 hours of community service, and a $500 fine. The court held that the crime was committed under extreme provocation and that Du’s ability to act rationally in the situation was diminished by his experience of previous robberies. In July, following the 1992 Los Angeles riots, the Harlins family was awarded $300,000 in a settlement.
joyce carlin
in popular media
Hip-hop artist Tupac Shakur dedicated the song Keep Ya Head Up to Latasha Harlins. Subsequently, he repeatedly mentioned Harlins in his songs, such as Something 2 Die 4, Thugz Mansion, I Wonder If Heaven Got a Ghetto, etc. Sapphire, an American author, wrote the poem ‘Strange Juice’ in her book American Dream. Referring to the murder of Latasha Harlins. In 2020, Netflix released a documentary titled ‘A Love Song for Latasha’ celebrating the life of Latasha Harlins.
Facts/General Knowledge
- Rejecting the jury’s recommendation of a 16-year prison term, Joyce Carlin said,
Did Mrs. Du react inappropriately? Absolutely. But was that reaction understandable? I think it was.” Carlin said, “This is not the time for revenge…and no matter what sentence this court imposes, Mrs. Du will have to suffer the punishment every day for the rest of her life.”
- Harlins was killed 13 days after Rodney King, an American man who was a victim of police brutality, was killed by the Los Angeles Police Department. These two deaths sparked the Los Angeles riots of 1992. The decision to sentence Do to only five years’ probation sparked outrage in Los Angeles and a large number of Korean-owned businesses were attacked.
- The Los Angeles Police Department ballistics report also stated that the handgun used by Du had been altered in such a way that it required much less pressure on the trigger than a normal handgun to fire.
- During the 1992 riots, Du’s shop was looted and burned, and it never reopened. The property later became a market under different ownership.
- Latasha Harlins was buried next to her mother in Paradise Memorial Park in Santa Fe Springs, California.
Latasha Harlins’ grave
Categories: Biography
Source: vcmp.edu.vn