Page 31 - MIN JUS 2 MARCH 2016

U.S. NEWS A5
Wednesday 2 March 2016

Neighborhood reflects on life, death of man shot by police

The Rev. William Barber II, center, head of the North Carolina National Association for the an arrest record. So do I,”
Barber told reporters Tues-
Advancement of Colored People, speaks during a news conference near the scene of a shooting day.
But Barber said neither a
in Raleigh, N.C., Tuesday, March 1, 2016. Authorities say that a police officer fatally killed a man warrant nor an arrest re-
cord “is a license to kill”
Monday while trying to make an arrest for a felony drug charge. and he called for a fair and
transparent investigation.
(AP Photo/Gerry Broome) Denkins’ mother, Rolonda
Byrd, had tears stream-
ing down her face as she
stood next to Barber. She
said she went to the medi-
cal examiner’s office, but
wasn’t allowed to look at
her son’s body.
“They stopped me at the
door. Somehow they knew
I was on my way,” Byrd
said.
“Why wasn’t there a Taser
pulled out to Taser him
while he was jumping over
that fence? What hap-
pened to beanbags guns?
They used to use those to
stop a criminal.

JONATHAN DREW fore the shooting and he

Associated Press “hugged me around the

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — The neck.”

black man shot to death “It happens everywhere,”

by a police officer was she said of the police shoot-

a father of two who was ings, her voice hoarse and

quick to flash a smile or breaking with emotion.

give a hug, yet someone “But it finally hit Raleigh.”

who had a troubled rela- Frustration with police was

tionship with police and evident in the hours after

was wanted on charges of the shooting, with some

selling cocaine. chanting “no justice, no

Akiel Denkins, 24, died peace” at the edge of a

Monday after a foot pursuit police cordon.

with an officer serving a fel- The atmosphere was calm-

ony arrest warrant. The of- er Tuesday in the neighbor-

ficer chased Denkins over hood of one-story houses

a fence and fired multiple and small clusters of apart-

shots in a backyard behind ments. Residents say they

a modest home, accord- have a complicated rela-

ing to police and witnesses. tionship with police.

The police shooting an- More than a half-dozen

gered residents in this pre- churches sit within a half-

dominantly African-Amer- mile of where shooting

ican neighborhood and took place, and three area

comes as officers face pastors chose measured

perhaps more scrutiny than responses such as “some-

ever over their treatment what peaceful,” ‘’decent”

of young black men. The or “respectful” when asked

officer’s race was not re- to describe interactions

leased and police gave between the community

out few details, other than and officers. Some people

saying a gun was found complained that crime in

near Denkins. the area is driven by out-

“He had some troubles, but siders coming in at night to

he was a good guy,” said buy and sell drugs.

Pastor Chris Jones of the Denkins had children ages

Ship of Zion, who usespa- 1 and 2, said the Rev. Wil-

tience and prayer to con- liam Barber II, the head

vince young men in the of the North Carolina Na-

community to give up drug tional Association for the

dealing and other troubled Advancement of Colored

paths. People.

Truvalia Bailey said she “Did he have faults? All hu-

bumped into Denkins man beings have faults.

about 10 minutes be- Some reports say he had