Who was Malik Jones?

Malik Jones had his whole life ahead of him.He had dreams, ambitions, and a future filled with hope. He had just welcomed a beautiful daughter into the world—a child he was eager to love, guide, and raise. But on April 14, 1997, all of that was stolen. Malik was senselessly murdered by a heartless police officer.

Malik was the kind of person who looked out for others. He was the friend who gave advice when you needed it, who encouraged you to do better, to be better. He was the one who made sure his friends got home safely, taking their car keys when they had too much to drink, never hesitating to put others before himself. His energy was infectious. His smile could light up any room.

But on that night, as he did a simple favor—driving a friend home—his life was violently taken. Shot more than ten times. A police officer, who later admitted in court that he kept pulling the trigger simply because Malik gave him a “defiant” look.

Malik wasn’t armed. He wasn’t a threat. He was just a young Black man trying to make it home to his mother.

As he slowly drove through the streets, feeling anxious and unsure why a police van was following him, all he could think about was getting home—where everything would feel normal and safe again.

He never made it.

A few blocks from his house, Malik’s body was riddled with bullets, his blood spilling onto the pavement. His dreams of being a father, an entrepreneur, a college graduate—stolen.

Instead of building his future, Malik’s name was added to the ever-growing list of unarmed Black men murdered at the hands of law enforcement. And just like so many before and after him, his story could have been erased.

But we refuse to let that happen.