Eleanor Bumpurs

Who was Eleanor Bumpurs?

Eleanor Bumpurs was an African-American woman who was shot and killed on October 29, 1984 by New York City police. The police were present to enforce a city ordered eviction of Bumpurs from her apartment in the Bronx since she was four months behind on her monthly rent of $98.65. In requesting NYPD assistance, housing authority workers told police that Bumpurs was emotionally disturbed, had threatened to throw boiling lye, and was using a knife to resist eviction. When Bumpurs refused to open the door, police broke in. In the struggle to subdue her, one officer shot Bumpurs twice with a 12-gauge shotgun.