Shivanthi Sathanandan, a vice chair of the Minnesota DFL Party and a vocal advocate for defunding the police, has found herself on the receiving end of the crime she once believed could be solved through social programs.
Sathanandan, who is of Indian and Sri Lankan descent, was violently carjacked and assaulted in her own driveway in broad daylight, as her young children looked on in horror. Sathanandan, who is now calling for tougher penalties for juvenile offenders, thanked the police officers who responded to her emergency.
In a detailed Facebook post that included a graphic image of her face after the incident, Sathanandan wrote, “You could have been reading the obituary for me and my children today. But instead, I’m here. To write this. Look at my face. These criminals will not win. We need to take back our city. And this will not be the last you hear from me about this.”
The deeply unsettling event occurred at the Minneapolis home of Sathanandan and involved four young men, all armed. Sathanandan suffered a broken leg, lacerations on her head, and extensive bruising. Her children and neighbors were threatened at gunpoint during the incident.
Hellbound and Down 