Sterling Michael "Mike" Hansford Jr.
New York City, d. 29.January.2018, shot and killed by police.



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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.

“There was no need to open fire,”  Jose Dedos, another 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


 
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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


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