Mike Hansford was a legendary New York bike
messenger with a reputation as the hardest worker and a rider of
great skill. He was shot by gun wielding police officers on
January 29, 2018. Mike had been in an argument with his landlord.
When police arrived it was reported that Mike had a knife. Police
ordered him to drop the knife and when he didn’t police shot him
multiple times, killing him. Mike’s neighbors voiced their
concerns regarding the way the police handled his death.
“There must have been some other way to subdue
him,” Taisha Herrera, a neighbor, told PIX11.
I can't believe that it has been six months
since my son Michael passed. My first born, cute as a button,
everyone always wanted to touch him, hold him. My mother loved
him, he was her first grandson. When he was born my sister said,
"You may have had him, but he's mine.
I only have pictures & memories now to
remind me of the person he was, not perfect, but a good person,
someone who would anything for his friends. There were two
questions he would always ask me as he came through the door when
he would come over, "Do you need anything?" & "Is there
anything you need me to do?" He loved building & fixing
things.
He loved Brazil & the people there, he went
a couple of times & no matter where he went he always met
someone that he kept in contact with through the years. He was an
adventurous person when it came to his bikes, he & his friends
would go bike riding & jumping off high ridges like (Evel
Knievel) & riding through high narrow mountain paths. Michael
liked the outdoors, so my son as you ride in heaven I hope you're
watching from above & let there be no doubt at all. I really
do love you. - Johnnye Hansford
To all of Michael's friends who are riding
tomorrow thank you for remembering him this way, because yes he
was a true lover of bikes. This shows what true friendship &
love is all about. In the past I had met a few of his friends, but
at his service on Tuesday when you all showed up I just felt the
love you had for him. So thank you for being a friend to him.
Will the ride be filmed? Love you all,
Michael's Mother - Johnnye Hansford
In the last moments they painted him all wrong.
-I know the truth-. What they didn't say was that Mike was a man
pushed to the outer limits of wits end.
After he got fucked over by the system, forced
to use his life savings to live after his stroke and denied
disability back pay and forced to move house. Mike never quit as
soon as he could he was working hard. He straight up told me "he
can't be one of those people who sit on their asses and collect."
He didn't want that he just wanted what he
deserved. No person should be forced to deplete their life savings
to live. They act like nobody should take responsibility but him,
it's not right because the system put him there.
Here you have a guy, a good guy, a man who
through determination alone always actively changed his
circumstance, worked harder then anyone showed up early for work
always. Mike gave it his all. And they fucked him over.
I have known mike for 23 years. Perhaps longer
because I had seen him often when I was working, he always had a
nice bike and Buddy could ride it smoother then anyone! I would
see him hustling that much harder. I would see him darting in and
out of traffic and as a rookie he was something to look at,
admire.
As a messenger you got to know faces of people
sometimes names not always their real name but if you were out
there long enough you had one.. If not that.. you knew who was
where based on the bikes you saw outside any given building.
Mike was six-oh. He was the hardest working
messenger not just because he could ride but because buddy showed
up, he came in on the days some would quit, he was there at 7 am
and worked until that last Triple rush he was serious about
working hard and making money. He had determination.
I met Mike at a friends place on the island
(staten) Hodari F. Depalm and I lived down the street, I think I
met Ho at A to Z, ya know how peeps would hang in the garage after
the days work.. Anyways we started riding he and Ho got me to go
to Platikill one-day to do some "Real-riding" I can hear mikes
voice when I say that, no offence but he'd say shit like if you
don't ride the trail your a "fake-rider". So my friend got me into
mountain biking and we talked a lot, he became a real friend.
Mike taught me how to ride and he was an
excellent teacher, he was patient and encouraging.. Mike LOVED
riding!! I eventually got deported and had to move to Vancouver
B.C. Canada. Mike came up a few times so our friendship continued
I showed him some "Real-Trails" on the north shore, of course I
couldn't ride them as hard as him but I always killed him on the
uphill, it was our joke.. He kept coming untill some B.S customs
guy profiled him and denied him access to Canada even though he
had come to visit 3 times. That really sucked cause I wasn't
allowed in the states. Eventually I got a waiver..
All this to say we went back, we talked on the
phone and when Mikes life dramatically changed after his stroke
4yrs ago I came as often as I could and called more. Despite a
country between us when I couldn't he came to me and there after I
got a waiver I came to see him. He called me his lil-sis a term
I'd only let Mike use.
I'll never forget the day Mike called and asked
me for my address and a week later a bike arrived, the bike I
X-country raced once in 96 and fell in love with was at my door
step. I had said long ago to Mike if you ever want to sell this
bike Iet me know, he said he would never sell the "Fire-Dragon" he
would use the best Kung-fu accent when he said it. Mike was beyond
generous and if he liked you ..you knew.. I asked why he sent it
and he said because I taught him to love and he loved me. We were
not romantic, we were friends, friends that had honest
conversation. Friends that called one another on our B.S. and
talked openly and honestly. I'll never forget you and your humour
will always live in my heart. I'm so glad I saw you last November
when I was passing through NYC.
If ever there was a guy this should not of
happened to it was Mike. ...Shame on you NYPD for taking deadly
measures.... - Easton Norget
If you're white and kill 17 people with an AR15 you're brought in
alive and seen as having mental illness if you're black and have a
knife you're shot dead in the street. I call Bullshit on American
justice, they could easily hit him with a tazer and from what I
understand all law enforcement are trained in hand to hand combat
and there were two of them versus one. We need an end to selective
enforcement . Police in America deal with minorities differently
than white people. Mike Hansford was friend of mine for 25 years
and was a reasonable dude. They didnt have to do him like that.
#fucknypd #justiceforsixomike - Hodari Depalm
Thanks Hodari F. Depalm for posting. Six-Oh was
an inspiration to me for many years. We worked together at Elite
Courier and I know he put in a good amount of time at Cavalry too.
Always friendly enough and always riding hard. Remember he was
working thru the flu during a tough 90's winter. I was like Bro
you are shivering are you ok !? I'm ok ! I'm working ! Respect my
Brother I am proud to say that I know you. - Kevin Bolger
RIP Mike Hansford aka 60 aka the punisher 156
lost but never forgotten we will always ride in peace amen for all
the messengers out there Michael Hansford we have an angel looking
out for us ride safe be well be blessed - Anthony Santiago
Truly honored too have been able to ride mtb with ya mang &
have witnessed the craziest jumpes you did at times my
bro....missing you already my brother....one!!!! - Mario Castellon
🙌🏽🌹💓🌹🙌🏽 Yup! I believe you. For 25 Years me &
Him never exchanged words in the Concrete jungle but, we
acknowledged each other’s Professionalism with a NOD of greetings
& continued through the waves of traffic! He was truly a
pro-Trooper! There are a lot of older pros just like that and yes,
Messengers never get their glory! R.i.P 60 👑
#WeALLKings Hodari F. Depalm Bill Dappio love You Guys!! 🙌🏽 -
Fernando Rivera
Mike Hansford's Obituary:
Sterling Michael Hansford, Jr. "Mike", was born
December 6, 1965 in the Bronx, NY, the oldest of two children, to
Johnnye R.
Palmer Hansford and Sterling M. Hansford. As a young child, he
attended the St.
John’s Baptist Church in Scotch Plains, NJ and was educated in the
Plainfield,
NJ public school system.
Michael worked and lived in New York all of his
adult life.
HE LOVED NEW YORK. He loved the 70’s and 80’s, whether it was
watching old
shows or movies on TV, to the clothes that were worn back then. He
was a
history book for that era. Michael was a comic book collector and
had over 2000
books. He enjoyed putting together comic book character’s models.
His father, grandfather and uncle passed on
their artistic
ability to him. He was an artist who could design and make
furniture. He was
also a jack-of-all-trades. Michael could fix or repair anything
and he enjoyed
doing it. His main love was his bikes. From a young child he would
be in the
garage taking bikes apart and rebuilding them to his liking and
that love of
bikes followed him into adulthood. Whether it was regular bikes,
mountain bikes
or racing bikes, he built custom bikes from scratch using the best
parts that
were made for bikes. His bikes were the top of the line as far as
bikes go. He
even traveled to France and other countries for bike races that
were held
there.
Sterling Michael Hansford, Jr. departed this
life on Mon.
Jan. 29, 2018 in New York at the age of 52. He was predeceased by
his maternal
grandmother, Rosa Lee Palmer and his paternal grandparents Aytch
and Elizabeth
Hansford.
He leaves to cherish fond memories his mother
Johnnye R.
Hansford of Plainfield; his father Sterling M. Hansford of
Augusta, GA; one
brother Ronald J. Hansford of Plainfield; two nieces Cherelle and
Jazae
Hansford; one aunt Jean Rainsford and one uncle Jack W. Palmer
both of Augusta,
GA; his godfather Robert L. Jones of Philadelphia, PA; a dear
family friend
Willie Mae Clark of the Bronx and a host of cousins, friends and
special
friends Chantel, Ana and Ralph.
"Just so it ain't twisted. I don't care about
you or your company. I don't want to be your friend, I don't want
to hang out for beers. I'm here to work, get paid and break out. "
Mike Hansford RIP! - Brian Whitmore