Written by Layasha Devi
“I expected justice, but instead I was left angry, betrayed.”
Warning: Some content may be distressing for some readers
At just 17 years old, Anthony Marriott was living the life of a normal teenager, done with school, going to work and on the way to pursue his dreams. An enthusiastic individual. However, one night he experienced something that you would not imagine a 17-year-old would go through. Anthony’s life changed right in front of his eyes that night when he had an unexpected encounter with the police. The members of a system that was meant to serve and protect the community disobeyed their mandates and badges, abusing their power. Anthony was put through the agony of police brutality, which had not only changed his life but him as well. Police brutality has affected many racialized and marginalized people across the globe. Anthony’s life flashed right in front of his eyes while he went through a painful and terrifying experience of torture. We are fortunate to have Anthony with us here to interview him and for him to share his experience with us. Today, Anthony Marriott is the Communications Coordinator of the Regis 4ever Foundation and a survivor of police violence. Anthony is a writer who currently has his autobiography in progress, based on his experiences. This book is meant to support the victims and survivors of police brutality, for Anthony to share his story, to address the critical issues in the system and advocate for improvements.
L: Welcome, Anthony. It is a pleasure to meet you. I wanted to ask you a few questions based on your experiences and your upcoming book. Feel free to take your time answering them and pause if you need to. Starting with our first question, at the time, you were 17 when this incident happened. As a 17-year-old, what were your perspectives on the criminal justice system before and after your encounter with the police? And what are your perspectives on the system now?
A: Thank you, Layasha, for having me do this interview with you. And to answer your question, before the incident, my view of the justice system was a little naive. I believed it was straightforward. If you do the right thing, you are safe. And if you do wrong, you face consequences. Looking back as a kid, I knew there were flaws, but I assumed the system worked the same for everyone. My encounter shattered that belief instantly. Waking from the coma, I expected justice, but instead I was left angry, betrayed, and with a profound lack of trust in law enforcement and the system. As I followed the broader trends of police brutality, I realized how deeply victims and their families suffer without answers. So today my perspective is much more nuanced. I do not see the issue as entirely black or white, nor do I believe all police officers are bad. I have met individuals within the system who generally try to do right. The reality is that we are dealing with an extremely complex, deeply messed up systemic infrastructure for so long that it affects everyone. It cannot be overhauled overnight. So realistically, progress will happen bit by bit. I explore this complexity further at the end of my book, admitting that while the situation in the system is a total mess, we must begin addressing these issues.
L: After this frightening experience, it must have had a long-lasting impact on you. How did you overcome the trauma you have faced from this incident?
A: Well, I don’t think I ever truly got over an experience like this, nor do I think I’m supposed to. For years, I’ve avoided the topic entirely because constantly recounting the events and feeling the need to prove my experience always left me drained and deeply re-traumatized. Two major turning points added to my healing. First, connecting with families of victims of police brutality, like Claudette Beals and Peter Korchinski, the parents of Regis Korchinski-Paquet, who do incredible work for police accountability through the Regis 4Ever Foundation, I saw I was not alone in my grief. Second, writing this book, the autobiography, was surprisingly powerfully therapeutic. I am still processing all this trauma, but I can now discuss it without letting it control my emotions. Chapters 7 and 8 were the most powerful and painful to write, but I believe that will be the most relatable and impactful to readers.
L: Thank you very much. After your autobiography is released, what do you hope for your future audience to gain from it and the impact for it to have on the community?
A: If readers would take away just one message, I hope it’s that regardless of our demographic, age, gender, or race, we share a core humanity. We must dismantle the foolish prejudice that divides us and work collectively to reform this terribly flawed system that currently costs both human lives and billions of dollars. It just makes no sense. For marginalized communities, including but not limited to First Nations and Black communities who unfortunately bear the heaviest burden of these systemic inequalities, I want this book to move beyond passive conversation. I hope it builds active networks of solidarity aimed at meaningful police reform, like setting initiatives to bring police involved deaths down. Reallocating police budgets to community services or resources, or victim & victim family support, and community healing. Bonuses to police stations with the least discharged firearms. There are many more ideas like this I explore in my book. Even if readers disagree with some of my points, if it gets people talking, even if they disagree, I’ll call it a win.
L: Thank you again, Anthony. Media coverage of police encounters often reduces victims to headlines or statistics. How does your book reclaim your personal narrative from how the public might have first heard about you?
A: The media often flattens a person’s entire life into a 30-second news clip or a single-sided polarizing headline. While this book made me take the microphone back, readers will see me not just as a victim of an incident at 17, but as a son, a friend, a writer, and a human being who existed before the trauma and continues to grow after it.
L: Thank you. For a young person reading your book, who might currently feel powerless or fearful of the system, what is your direct message to them?
A: My message to them is that your fear is valid and your voice has immense power. Being young does not mean your observations are always incorrect or that your experiences do not matter. Channel your anger and fear into learning, into joining community programs or events, even just taking the time to relax and do some art, or just taking some time out to mentally organize your life and/or routines. The system wants you to feel isolated, but finding your village is where your protection and your journey begins to get more powerful.
L: Thank you, Anthony. I appreciate you for taking your time out to join us today. We are very much looking forward to your book and reading it after its release. I really do hope many get the opportunity to get a hold of your book, make meaningful connections as they read, and see the positive impact it will make in the community. Thank you for joining us today, and we wish you all the best.
A: Thanks again, Layasha. I appreciate it.
L: No problem. Thank you again.
Layasha Devi (She/Hers)
Member of Regis 4Ever Foundation
The Regis 4Ever Foundation 