“I am done waiting; I am done being satisfied with symbolic gestures. The nation has been moved by protests demanding justice. That’s all I want for my son.”
– Kenithia Alston
Kenithia Alston is the loving mother of Marqueese Alston. She has spent the past seven years searching for the truth about Marqueese’s murder by the Metropolitan Police Department in June 2018.
Interviews
Articles
What it’s like when the cops kill your son by Kenithia Alston
“The truth is, like so many young men, black or white, rich or poor, Marqueese was just starting to make his way in the world. He had a young daughter, Lyric, whom he adored, a family that loved him, and a community that has seen far too many of its sons and daughters brutalized and killed by the police. To us, Marqueese’s life mattered; it still does.”
The Other Gun Violence by Kenithia Alston & Emanuel Powell
“Understanding shootings by police as one of the many permutations of gun violence in our country opens some doors into how to get to the root of the issue and stop killings by police — and thus spare other facilities the heartache we know so well.”
Testimonies
March 11, 2025 – D.C. Council’s Performance Oversight Hearing: Committee on the Judiciary & Public Safety (2:03:25)
- At this hearing, Ms. Alston testified in-person about how the Secure DC Act’s provision allowing police to review body-worn camera footage before writing their police reports contributes to the infrastructure of poor police accountability and allowing police to govern themselves.
- She goes on to reiterate how the Metropolitan Police Department’s failure to provide the full, unedited footage of her son’s murder over seven years has impacted her life, and how her story is one of many highlighting the need for change in the District.
Nov. 29, 2023 – D.C. Council’s Performance Oversight Hearing: Committee on the Judiciary & Public Safety (1:49:12)
- At this hearing, Ms. Alston testified in-person against the Bill 25-0555 Addressing Crime Trends (ACT) Now Amendment Act of 2023 and the importance of “effective policing.”
- She opposed the bill because of its provisions regarding what information may be released to the public about police officers’ discipline and whether officers could, in certain instances, review their body-worn camera footage before writing their initial report.
June 10, 2021 – D.C. Council’s Performance Oversight Hearing: Committee on the Judiciary & Public Safety (5:22:46)
- At this hearing, Ms. Alston testified remotely via Zoom about hopes that the appointment of a new Chief of Police will provide answers about the truth of her son’s murder.
- She goes on to describe how Black Washingtonians are subject to higher levels of arrest and police violence — rooted in American history — and how policing infrastructure reincarnates systems of racism.
Mar. 11, 2021 – D.C. Council’s Performance Oversight Hearing: Committee on the Judiciary & Public Safety (3:47:21)
- At this hearing, Ms. Alston testified remotely via Zoom about the Metropolitan Police Department’s refusal to release full unedited body camera footage of Marqueese’s murder.
- Additionally, Ms. Alston testified about how Mayor Bowser failed to provide her with an opportunity, as Marqueese’s next of kin, to consent to the release of an edited community briefing that presented an incomplete narrative surrounding Marqueese’s murder—an opportunity that MPD is required to provide by the Comprehensive Policing and Justice Reform Second Emergency Amendment Act of 2020.
January 16, 2020 – D.C. Council’s Performance Oversight Hearing: Committee on the Judiciary & Public Safety (3:53:18)
- At this hearing, Ms. Alston testified about the Metropolitan Police Department’s refusal to release full unedited body camera footage of Marqueese’s murder, despite the FOIA request.
- She goes on to claim that the public has a significant interest in access to records regarding the police use of force, and release of these records do not undermine any enforcement proceedings or privacy concerns because her son is no longer alive.
October 15, 2020 – D.C. Council’s Performance Oversight Hearing: Committee on the Judiciary & Public Safety (5:35:01)
- At this hearing, Ms. Alston testified about the Metropolitan Police Department’s disregard for her son’s murder, demonstrated through their refusal to release full, unredacted records and the names’ of all officers responsible for his death.
- She goes on to state concerns about the Comprehensive Policing and Justice Reform Amendment of 2020 on grounds of furthering poor accountability and decentering families most impacted by overpolicing.