Clinton Allen

Clinton Allen, a 25-year-old Black man, was a beloved son and the father of twin boys. His mother, Collette Flanagan, remembers him as a delightful and curious child who grew into an avid reader with dreams of becoming the fifth generation of his family to be a rancher. Known to some as "Big Baby," Clinton was his mother's only son. His life was cut short on the night of March 10, 2013, when he was shot and killed by a Dallas police officer in the East Oak Cliff area of Dallas, Texas.

That evening, police received a 911 call about a disturbance at an apartment complex in the 3300 block of Southern Oaks Boulevard. A woman, who knew Clinton through mutual friends, called police after he refused to leave the area outside her apartment. According to police, Clinton had been knocking on her door and sent text messages threatening to kick it in. Dallas Police Officer Clark Staller, who had been with the department for nearly five years, was the first to respond. Police stated that when Staller arrived, he saw Clinton jump over a fence. Staller reportedly drew his weapon and ordered Clinton to show his hands. When he complied, the officer holstered his firearm and drew his stun gun.

According to the police account, an altercation ensued during which Clinton grabbed Officer Staller's collar. Staller deployed his TASER twice, but said it had no effect. He claimed that Clinton then began to choke him, and, fearing for his life, he drew his handgun and fired. Clinton Allen was shot seven times: four times in the chest, once in the abdomen, once in the arm, and once in the back at close range. He died from the gunshot wounds. An autopsy later found that he had PCP and marijuana in his system, though his family and supporters stated the levels were consistent with use days prior and that he was not under the influence at the time of the shooting.

The Dallas Police Department investigated the shooting, and the case was eventually presented to a Dallas County grand jury. In October 2013, the grand jury declined to indict Officer Staller on any criminal charges. Dallas County District Attorney Craig Watkins stated that the grand jurors had seen all the evidence and that his office believed they made the right decision. Staller was also cleared in an internal police investigation and returned to his regular duties. The family and community members were outraged by the decision, arguing that the police account did not align with the autopsy report and witness statements.

Clinton's mother, Collette Flanagan, became a prominent advocate against police violence following her son's death. She questioned how an unarmed man could be shot seven times by an officer who claimed to fear for his life. "Executed like a rabid animal. Who does that to another human being?" she asked. In the wake of the tragedy and the lack of legal accountability for the officer, Flanagan founded the organization Mothers Against Police Brutality (MAPB). The organization works to end the use of deadly force by police, particularly against people of color, and advocates for systemic reform in law enforcement.

Through MAPB, Flanagan has pressured the Dallas Police Department for greater transparency and has advocated for policy changes, such as the creation of a special civil rights unit within the Dallas County District Attorney's office to investigate police shootings. This unit later secured the first indictment of a Dallas officer in a fatal shooting since 1973. Her advocacy has taken her from Dallas City Hall to the United Nations Human Rights Council, turning her personal grief into a national and international movement for justice. The officer who killed Clinton Allen was never held accountable in criminal or civil court. The case remains a painful example of the issues surrounding police use of force and the profound impact on the families left behind.