After Antwon Rose Jr. was fatally shot by East Pittsburgh police, Leon Ford was moved to tears. He doesn’t cry much, but the tragedy occurred six years after Ford was shot and paralyzed by Pittsburgh police. Both Rose and Ford were unarmed when they were shot. Ford survived; Rose did not.
Having mourned Rose’s death, Ford is reinvigorated. Already a past winner of Best Activist for his work advocating for police reform, City Paper again readers chose Ford for the honor — and it’s easy to understand why.
“Antwon didn't die in vain. It is going to be Antwon who is going to help change things,” said Ford at a rally in June. “We can’t afford to sit by and do nothing. You can take to the streets, but you can also vote.”
