We are raising money to cover the family’s legal fees for the Coroner’s Inquest into the death of their beloved Ronaldo Johnson. You can donate at this link.
Ronaldo was a kind, giving, intelligent, well-mannered teenager. He was a talented sportsman on the football pitch, in the kickboxing ring and in the gymnastics hall. He is bitterly missed by his heartbroken family, friends and wider community.
Ronaldo was involved in a road traffic collision on 31 March 2021. He was the back seat passenger in a car which collided with a taxi after being pursued by Greater Manchester Police (GMP) after they allege that the driver failed to stop at a red light. Ronaldo died from his injuries in hospital on Tuesday 6th April 2021.
In 2021/22 alone, a total of eight people lost their lives in road traffic fatalities involving police pursuit by GMP. The majority were young working-class men and boys disproportionately of Black, Asian and Gypsy, Roma, Traveller heritage. Eight deaths was the highest on record for GMP and the highest of any police force in England and Wales that year. To put it in wider context, an average of sixty people die on the roads in Greater Manchester annually. If eight people were to die in police pursuits every year that would mean that 1 in every 7 road traffic deaths involve the police.
Ronaldo’s family have not only had to endure a devastating loss, but they’ve also had to fight to find out the truth about what happened. They are part of a group of families who have lost loved ones in unnecessary, high-risk police pursuits by Greater Manchester Police, and they are fighting for answers.
After a long wait, the Coroner’s Inquest into Ronaldo’s death has begun, and the family are confronted with legal fees which are not covered by legal aid.
Please spare whatever you can to help them continue their fight for justice.