A woman who appeared to need help in the middle of the night and was subsequently shot to death may have been the victim in a case of self-defense gone wrong, according to WJBK-TV.
Renisha McBride, 19, was killed Saturday in Dearborn Heights, Mich, located just west of Detroit. Her family says she approached a stranger’s house for help around 2:30 a.m. after she had a car accident, according to the Detroit News. She was fatally shot on the porch.
Renisha’s aunt Bernita Spinks told the paper she believes it was a case of racial profiling.
“He shot her in the head … for what? For knocking on his door,” Spinks said.“If he felt scared or threatened, he should have called 911. … She went looking for help and now she’s dead.”
Family members described Renisha as a hardworking, soft-spoken woman who keeps to herself, according to WJBK-TV.
The homeowner who shot Renisha claims that his actions were justified and his name, photo have not been released because no charges have been filed. The Detroit News contacted the homeowner Thursday, who would only confirm that he has hired an attorney.
“I’m confident when the evidence comes it will show that my client was justified and acted as a reasonable person would who was in fear for his life,” Bloomfield Hills attorney Cheryl Carpenter said Thursday.
This has led Twitter and regular American’s to react with remorse and outrage, drawing parallels to other cases where African-American victims were allegedly killed without cause.
The Detroit branch of the NAACP has now joined Dream Hampton, writer and filmmaker, in the call for justice. “This shooting must be investigated at every level,” the group said in a statement. A group of about 100 rallied in front of the police station on Thursday evening to demand accountability.
McBride’s family members have said they believe the young woman’s cell phone battery died after the car crash early Saturday and she was seeking help from the homeowner, who police have not identified.
The Detroit Free Press reported Thursday that the homeowner told police that he thought the young woman was trying to rob him and that he accidentally discharged his shotgun. Police said McBride was shot in the face.
“This man’s claiming -– believed the girl was breaking into the home,” Lt. James Serwatowski told the newspaper. “And he’s also saying the gun discharged accidentally.”
This case is eerily similar to that of the shooting and murder of Jonathan Ferrell earlier this year.
In September, North Carolina police officer Randall Kerrick shot former football player Jonathan Ferrell 10 times leaving his parents and the local NAACP chapter questioning whether race played a role in the shooting.
After crashing his car, Ferrell attempted to seek help in a nearby neighborhood. A homeowner made the 911 call after Ferrell knocked on the door, mistaking him for an intruder, according to the Associated Press. Police responding to the breaking and entering call said Ferrell continued to run toward them when Kerrick shot him. Kerrick has been charged with voluntary manslaughter.
No comments:
Post a Comment