Introduction: Haunted

Abstract

In the introduction, the author embarks on a journey driven by spiritual encounters with research on police violence. Starting from her profound explorations of Afro-Latiné religious practices, the author uncovers a distressing pattern of hidden deaths that occur during violent police encounters. This chapter exposes the fabricated nature of excited delirium syndrome, its entanglement with the medicalizing of police killings, and how corporate interests drive these practices. Guided by Afro-Latiné religious traditions and decolonial approaches to social scientific knowledge, the author launches a journey to uncover the hidden truths behind excited delirium syndrome and its role in justifying systemic violence. This chapter challenges dominant narratives of scholarly research, emphasizing the importance of non-Western knowledges and advocating for justice for those silenced by police violence.