Page 30 - Florida Sentinel 2-11-22

National
Georgia Sheriff Offers $500K Of His Own Money In Case Of Teen Found Dead In Gym Mat
Everything To Know About The
A Georgia sheriff who re- cently closed the case of a 17- year-old-student who was found dead in 2013 in a rolled- up gym mat announced Mon- day he is offering $500,000 of his own money to anyone who has information that leads to an arrest or conviction.
Last month, Lowndes County Sheriff Ashley Paulk released a 16-page document concluding that Kendrick Johnson's death was an acci- dent and no charges would be filed.
Johnson's family said they believe the teen was murdered and that his death was cov- ered-up.
“After the release of my syn- opsis of the Federal files on the Kendrick Johnson case, his parents have called me a liar and continue to state that Kendrick was murdered," Paulk said in a news release Monday.
"Because of these state-
KendrickJohnsonatLown- des High School."
Johnson's body was found in a wrestling mat Jan. 11, 2013, in the high school's gym in Valdosta, Georgia. The re- port said his body was head- down in a rolled-up mat that was positioned vertically. His feet were visible from the top of the mat, the report said.
State and local law enforce- ment officials ruled the death an accidental asphyxiation, saying Johnson died after he climbed into the mat to re- trieve his sneakers.
The sheriff said Tuesday that while tragic, Johnson's death was just a "weird accident." Paulk said that he and two de- tectives poured over about 17 boxes of files for a year before releasing the report.
The half-a-million-dollar re- ward is "one last avenue" for any information the sheriff's office may not be aware of, he said.
Another Black Man Shot By A
Kendrick Johnson's body was found upside down in a rolled- up wrestling mat at Lowndes High School in Valdosta, Geor- gia, on Jan. 11, 2013. Investiga- tors ruled his death an accident.
ments, I am personally — with my own funds — offering a re- ward of one-half million dol- lars ($500,000.00) to anyone who comes forward with infor- mation that results in the ar- rest and conviction of a person for the alleged murder of
Once again, protesters gath- ered in Minneapolis to demand justice for a young Black man killed by the police. Amir Locke, a 22-year-old man, died on Wednesday, February 2, after being shot by SWAT of- ficers during the execution of a no-knock warrant. Locke was not named in the warrant itself, nor was he a suspect in the case being investigated, and a lawyer for his family said that he was in the apartment staying with a cousin.
On Saturday, protesters marched in downtown Min- neapolis, demanding justice for Locke. In the wake of the shooting, Minneapolis mayor Jacob Frey put a pause on no- knock warrants in the city, but the future of the controversial policy remains unclear. Mean- while, a review of the shooting is currently underway by the Hennepin County attorney’s of- fice, with Minnesota attorney general Keith Ellison joining in.
And all of this is happening as a trial is underway for three former Minneapolis police offi- cers who watched Derek Chauvin kneel on George Floyd’s neck, killing him in 2020.
Amir Locke was shot and killed during the execution of a no-knock warrant, despite not being a suspect.
On Wednesday, February 2, police entered a Minneapolis apartment just before 7 a.m. on a no-knock warrant. “Approxi- mately nine seconds into the entry, officers encountered a male who was armed with a handgun pointed in the direc- tion of the officers,” read the initial press release from the Minneapolis Police Depart- ment. “At one point, shots were fired, and the adult male sus- pect was struck. Officers imme- diately provided emergency aid and carried the suspect down to the lobby to meet paramedics.” The original release also an- nounced an independent inves- tigation from the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehen- sion and included photos of the gun the “male suspect” was al- legedly pointing at the officers. He was later identified as Amir Locke.
The warrant has not yet been released, but was reportedly is- sued in relation to a homicide case in Hennepin County and related to three areas in the apartment complex where
JUSTICE FOR AMIR LOCKE Locke was shot. Meanwhile,
the officer who shot Locke has since been identified as Officer Mark Hannemen. He has been placed on administrative leave pending an investigation.
Body-cam footage shows some inconsistencies with the original police report.
On Friday, February 4, the Hennepin County medical ex- aminer released its official find- ings, ruling Locke’s death a homicide, and the Minneapolis Police Department released body-cam footage from the shooting. The short video re- leased includes the first ten or so seconds of the raid, ending abruptly after the shots are fired. The officer who shot Locke appears to be just out of frame, and the moments just before the shooting have been slowed down at multiple speeds. The video shows police entering the apartment, an- nouncing their presence only when they have already entered safely. Once in the apartment, one officer kicks the couch where Locke was sleeping, prompting him to wake up, seemingly confused. Wrapped in a white blanket, you can see Locke holding a gun, though it does not appear to be pointed at any officers in the frame, nor does it seem that Locke even knew he was being surrounded by police.
Attorney Ben Crump re- leased a statement on behalf of the Locke family relating the video to the death of Breonna Taylor, who was killed during a similar no-knock warrant. “Like the case of Breonna Taylor, the killing of Amir Locke shows a pattern of no- knock warrants having deadly consequences for Black Ameri- cans,” Crump said, via NPR.
Crump also clarified that Locke “legally possessed a firearm at the time of his death.”
Tenn. Pastor, First African American, Named To Key SBC Post
Police Shooting Of Amir Locke;
White Police Officer Unjustly
Tennessee pastor Willie McLaurin has been named interim president and CEO of the Southern Baptist Conven- tion's Executive Committee, becoming the first African American to lead one of the de- nomination's ministry entities in its more than 175-year his- tory.
McLaurin's appointment as one of the top administra- tors for the largest Protestant church body in the United States was announced Tuesday in Baptist Press, an official SBC news outlet. He will lead the day-to-day business of the
WILLIE MCLAURIN
committee, which acts on be- half of the convention when it is not holding its annual two- day national gathering in June.
“Our EC staff is committed to serving our Convention well. ... My prayer is that we will continue to put a laser-sharp focus on cooperation and col- laboration,” McLaurin told Baptist Press.
McLaurin, 48, will tem- porarily fill the post vacated by Ronnie Floyd in October. Floyd resigned amid turmoil over the Executive Commit- tee's handling of a third-party investigation into how the committee addressed sexual abuse reports. Several others also have stepped down from the body.
Suspect Still On The Run After Shooting At Downtown Atlanta Hookah Bar
A security guard at a Down- town Atlanta hookah bar has been killed after an overnight shooting.
Police say around 1 a.m. last Wednesday they responded to reports of shots fired at the En- core Hookah Bar and Bistro on the 300 block of Luckie Street.
At the scene, officers found a 28-year-old security guard with at least one bullet wound.
According to investigators, management at the bar asked a patron to leave. Once outside, that person got into a physical fight with a security guard. The altercation escalated into gun-
SUSPECT IN SHOOTING
fire and the guard ended up get- ting shot. Investigators wouldn't say why the gunman was asked to leave the bar.
Paramedics rushed the unidentified victim to Grady Memorial Hospital where he died from his injuries.
The shooter is still on the run. Investigators are working to interview witnesses and look for security footage that could lead to them identifying a suspect and determining what led up to the shooting.
Shortly before 9 a.m., officials shared security photos of a sus- pect believed to be connected to the shooting.
This isn't the first time the hookah bar has been connected to a shooting.
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