When police were called to a burning car in Riverview, Missouri, around 2AM on Tuesday morning, they found the body of activist Darren Seals inside, shot to death. Seals, 29, was a prominent activist who protested after black teenager Michael Brown was shot in Ferguson, Missouri in 2014. He was by the Brown family’s side the evening it was announced the officer involved in the shooting was not indicted.

Seals’ supporters expressed their grief on social media.

His name was Darren Seals. RIP. pic.twitter.com/Cd4NQuqBvX

— Torraine Walker (@TorraineWalker) September 6, 2016

Some think he was targeted by the police for his strong commitment to the protests over Michael Brown’s death, a belief that Seals himself seems to have expressed on his Twitter.

@LegendaryQueen8 yea 10 detectives pulled me and my 14 year old brother over, pointed guns on us, and told me “choose your enemies wisely”

— King D Seals (@KingDSeals) July 25, 2016

St Louis County Police said they investigated the incident as a homicide but have no suspects. The block where Darren Seals died was involved in another police matter about a week ago when an older woman was found dead in her apartment. However that death appears to have been a suicide.

According to the police, Seals lived about 12 miles away from where he was found dead. Seals described himself on his Twitter account as a businessman, revolutionary, activist, fighter, leader, and “unapologetically black.” After he engaged in protests after the shooting of Michael Brown, he told MTV about the experience in an interview. Even though he described holding Brown’s mother after they heard the results from the non-indictment as feeling “her soul cry,” he also described the protests as fruitful:

I don’t recall anyone having a longer protest, a more productive protest, a more creative protest than what we did. I don’t think people will ever really appreciate what we did until years from now. We really did the best we could.

Seals also led protests with a group called Hands Up United, which wanted to change police policies through the campaign Polls Ova Police. Some people believe this work made police officers target Seals during the last weeks of his life.

#DarrenSeals spent his last days under constant harassment from STL Police. Any investigation into his murder needs to start there IMO.

— D (@Delo_Taylor) September 7, 2016

Seals repeatedly declared his distance from the Black Lives Matter movement and claimed it is simply a newly formed group taking credit for what different local protesters, including him, have been working hard on for years.

#BlackLivesMatter people did to Ferguson what white people did to mother Africa, come in steal all our resources then leave us for dead..smh

— King D Seals (@KingDSeals) September 2, 2016

In the end, Darren Seals became a symbol for the battle he fought, but details about his death are still unclear.

Emma Von Zeipel

Emma Von Zeipel is a staff writer at Law Street Media. She is originally from one of the islands of Stockholm, Sweden. After working for Democratic Voice of Burma in Thailand, she ended up in New York City. She has a BA in journalism from Stockholm University and is passionate about human rights, good books, horses, and European chocolate. Contact Emma at EVonZeipel@LawStreetMedia.com.

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On April 4, Feidin Santana started recording as an unarmed black male, now identified as Walter Scott, attempted to get away from a North Charleston, South Carolina police officer. In a matter of seconds his footage captured Officer Michael Slager firing at Scott’s back eight times, killing him. After turning the video over to Scott’s family, Santana’s graphic footage was broadcast across the country by all major news networks. The resulting media outrage ended with Officer Slager being charged with murder. However if news outlets want to continue running the footage, Santana’s publicist claims they should now expect a $10,000 fee.

Feidin Santana, bystander who recorded Walter Scott shooting: ‘I’m still scared’ http://t.co/poD0pB3Zwi pic.twitter.com/RAiFktwrNl

— TODAY (@TODAYshow) April 9, 2015

According to the New York Times, cease-and-desist letters were sent to various news outlets around the world from Markson Sparks, a publicity and celebrity management company based in Sydney, Australia.

The dispute over whether or not Santana should be compensated for the video boils down to interpretations of “fair use” clauses, which allow news agencies to use copyrighted material for news purposes. Despite the video being unequivocally newsworthy, high-profile celebrity agent and chief executive of Markson Sparks Max Markson told Buzzfeed that news outlets are now just using it for revenue purposes, saying,

Fair usage for video exists and networks can still use it for a certain amount of time like with footage from the Olympics, but the fair usage fee is for people who want to use it again. And in the lead-up to the trial we expect there will be more requests for licensing.

Markson also reportedly told the New York Times over the phone that the fee amount would be negotiable, but another anonymous source familiar with the negotiations said news media outlets would be charged a one-time fee of $10,000.

The Times made sure to mention that it has used the video with the family’s permission and has not received a cease-and-desist letter.

Santana has been praised for his bravery in capturing and sharing the video with the public. After all, without his footage the cop may not have ever been charged with Scott’s murder. However a $10,000 licensing fee smells a little like greed. Santana does own rights to the video, making his entrepreneurial claims legit, but that still doesn’t make a licensing fee sound any better. Then again, it’s always going to be kind of unsettling when an individual attempts to profit from someone else’s death. Moreover, the media companies who received cease-and-desist letters will likely try anything to avoid handing over the cash, leaving Santana’s attempts to profit up in the air.

Alexis Evans

Alexis Evans is an Assistant Editor at Law Street and a Buckeye State native. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism and a minor in Business from Ohio University. Contact Alexis at aevans@LawStreetMedia.com.

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