Friends, family of Loris activist who was fatally struck by vehicle demand accountability
Family members and friends of a Loris activist who died after he was hit by a vehicle while riding his bicycle are demanding answers as to why no one has been charged in his death.
Dameion Fowler, 39, was struck Feb. 4 and died from his injuries at Loris Hospital. Also known as Asafo Shaka Sekou, Fowler advocated for racial and social justice in Horry County.
His family held a news conference Wednesday outside of Horry County’s Government and Justice Center, where 15th Circuit Solicitor Jimmy Richardson’s office is located.
“When they went to the scene, they should have charged this individual with murder,” Abdullah Mustafa, a human rights activist and father figure to Fowler, said of South Carolina Highway Patrol. “... Bicycles have right-of-way. Pedestrians have right-of-way.”
South Carolina State Representative Marvin Pendarvis, who is representing the family, said loved ones spoke with Richardson before the conference seeking answers about the police’s investigation.
But Richardson said it is up to the Highway Patrol to make an arrest and charge someone, if the agency sees fit. He does not have that power, he added.
“I don’t have a shred of paper,” Richardson told The Sun News. “Highway Patrol doesn’t generally send anything unless they make an arrest.”
Therefore, Fowler’s family and friends said their next stop is the office of the Highway Patrol, whose officers conducted an investigation into the wreck.
Dameion Fowler was biking on Red Bluff Road near Silver Sand Drive when the driver of a Nissan sports utility vehicle hit the back of his bicycle, according to a report by Highway Patrol Trooper Brian Lee.
Dameion Fowler’s twin brother, Jameion Fowler, one of his five siblings, said Dameion Fowler was an “amazing pillar of the community.”
“He was a fighter for poor people, [American Descendants of Slavery] people, disenfranchised people — all groups that were being disenfranchised in some way, shape, form or fashion,” Jameion Fowler said. “He deserves to have every bunch, every bit of this situation investigated to the fullest extent.”
Dameion Fowler’s car had recently broken down, so he was biking to the nearest bus stop to get to Coast RTA, where he worked as a bus driver, according to Stephanie Southworth, a friend of Fowler’s.
Under his name, Asafo Shaka Sekou, Fowler also published several books, including a series of children’s books called “The Little Black Ants” about fighting white supremacy. Its main character was named Khalil, after his 5-year-old son.
Dameion Fowler’s family and friends have said they will continue working toward his goal of turning the community into a better place.
A GoFundMe fundraiser has been set up to help cover funeral and other expenses, along with setting up a trust for Dameion Fowler’s son Khalil.
“... Justice doesn’t come because we asked for it, or even because we wished for it,” Pendarvis said. “Justice comes when we demand it, and I don’t think there is any accurate depiction of the life that Dameion Fowler lived [other than] to say he demanded justice.”
This story was originally published February 16, 2022 at 4:16 PM.