Page 6 - ARUBA TODAY

A6 U.S. NEWS
Friday 14 June 2019
Memphis police after marshals kill black man appeal for calm

By ADRIAN SAINZ lawlessness that threaten
Associated Press the safety of our neighbor-
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Po- hoods.”
lice appealed for calm Webber’s home was in a
Thursday in a tense Mem- working-class neighbor-
phis neighborhood where a hood of north Memphis.
rock-throwing crowd gath- By Thursday afternoon, the
ered after federal marshals police presence was mini-
fatally shot a black man mal, with two squad cars
who, authorities said, had parked in front of a fire
rammed a police vehicle station. No uniformed of-
with a stolen car. ficers were visible. About
Thirty-six officers suffered 20 people stood outside of
minor injuries from flying Webber’s one-story house,
rocks and bricks in the and others gathered near-
hours following the death by. One woman wept
of 20-year-old Brandon loudly and hugged a man
Webber, who was killed as she cried. The Rev. An-
Wednesday evening after dre E. Johnson said he was
he exited the car holding standing among the pro-
some type of weapon, au- testers when tear gas was
thorities said. released. He said he heard
Webber had been wanted no police order to disperse.
in a June 3 shooting that Police retreat under a cloud of tear gas as protesters disperse from the scene of a standoff after People were upset be-
happened during a car Frayser community residents took to the streets in anger against the shooting of a youth by U.S. cause they initially did not
theft about 25 miles (40 Marshals earlier in the evening, Wednesday, June 12, 2019, in Memphis, Tenn. know why the marshals
kilometers) south of Mem- Associated Press sought to arrest Webber,
phis in Hernando, Missis- Elected officials con- Shortly after Wednesday’s and bricks. said Johnson, who called
sippi. The victim was shot demned the violence, and shooting, people began During the unrest, offi- him a beloved member of
five times and survived. The the police chief pleaded to gather in the area, and cers cordoned off sev- the community.
car was the one used to for patience while the their numbers swelled as eral blocks in the Frayser “The problem with it is they
ram the police vehicle, ac- shooting is investigated. some livestreamed the neighborhood north of feel that police and the
cording to DeSoto County, But unanswered questions scene on social media. downtown and arrested administration and city of-
Mississippi, District Attor- left many people angry as Memphis police initially re- three people. By 11 p.m., ficials do not treat them as
ney John Champion, who they recalled other police sponded in street uniforms, officers had used tear gas humans. That’s what it re-
spoke Thursday at a news shootings around the coun- then returned in riot gear as and most of the crowd dis- ally boils down to: You are
conference. try. people began hurling rocks persed, Police Director Mi- not worthy of an explana-
chael Rallings said. tion,” said Johnson, speak-
Rallings implored residents ing hours before the Missis-
to wait until the Tennessee sippi prosecutor described
Bureau of Investigation, or the allegations against
TBI, finished its investigation. Webber.
He appealed for people to TBI spokeswoman Keli
refrain from violence and McAlister said a fugitive
from spreading possible task force went to a Fray-
misinformation about the ser home to look for a sus-
shooting. pect with felony warrants.
“I need everyone to stay She said marshals spotted
calm,” Rallings said. the man getting into a car,
He later told WREG-TV that which then rammed task
while peaceful protests are force vehicles several times
allowed, authorities would before the man got out
not tolerate further attacks with the weapon.
on officers or any property Marshals then opened fire,
damage or looting. Among she said. McAlister did not
steps designed to maintain say how many marshals
public order and protect fired or how many times
law enforcement, Rallings the man was shot. The TBI
said, officers’ days off have identified the dead man as
been canceled and they Webber.
will ride in two-person cars Authorities provided no
as a precaution. details about the type of
Separately, Tennessee weapon or the charges
Gov. Bill Lee said through that drew the task force’s
a spokeswoman that the interest. A criminal history
shooting would be fully for Webber released by the
investigated. Lee’s press TBI listed two arrests, in April
secretary, Laine Arnold, 2017 and April 2018, on
said the crowd’s actions charges including weap-
were “not representative ons possession, drug deal-
of the community, but we ing and driving without a
stand firmly against acts of license.q