Before Eric Garner There Was Ernest Sayon, The Real Story Behind Haze’s Death In ‘Wu-Tang: An American Saga’

The MouthSoap is finally catching up on the epic Hulu series Wu-Tang: An American Saga based on the formation and rise of legendary Staten Island rap group Wu-Tang Clan.

In the series, Haze, an affiliate of Wu-Tang members, is the right-hand man to notorious S.I. drug dealer Cressy. Employed with the job to maintain the front lines of the street, Haze comes off as a very calculated and calm individual with a head on his shoulders. But, on episode 6, we witness the demise of the foot soldier when he becomes combative with a police officer that proceeds to choke him out in broad daylight and in front of an entire crowd on a basketball court.

Does the story sound familiar? It should. In 2014, Staten Island resident Eric Garner was choked to death by police for selling cigarettes without a permit.

Twenty years before Garner’s death, Ernest Sayon, who the Haze character is based on, was in the Park Hill area of Staten Island when someone called the cops reporting gunshots. When the cops arrived, they tried to control the crowd and detain Sayon, also known as Kase. However, Sayon struggled with the police, who proceeded to beat him up. One particular cop, Donald Brown, placed Sayon in a chokehold until he was no longer responsive. Sayon died in front of several witnesses, including members of the Wu-Tang Clan.

Method Man of the Wu-Tang Clan spoke to the Huffington Post about the incident that was eerily similar to Garner’s situation. “I felt the pain, because we had spoke out about a cop that had done that to one of my dear friends I grew up with, Ernest Sayon,” Method Man said. “He was killed by a cop. I’m going to say killed, because he was killed by this cop, Donald Brown, who strangled him. Choked him to death. The same way Eric Garner, death by asphyxiation. Over a firework that he never even threw.” Just as it was in the Garner case, charges against police officers were not filed by the Grand Jury.

The only resolve at that time for Staten Island was that the tragic death of Sayon united the residents of Stapleton and Park Hill, which was somewhat divided.

It’s ironic how history repeats itself. Yet, even when we’re tested continuously with the same scenarios, some of us are just not ready to analyze the past so that they can evolve for the future. So, the same issues persist. There’s no growth, no transformative impact.

Wu-Tang: An American Saga is one of the most compelling series out right now. Full of depth, the show has been successful in telling the stories behind the story.

It will be interesting to see how the various members of Wu-Tang finally connect with each other to create the epic music that made Staten Island one of the infamous New York boroughs known for Hip-Hop.

Wu-Tang: An American Saga comes on every Wednesday on Hulu.

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