Over the weekend, there were calls for the police to press charges against the white homeowner who shot and badly injured a Black teenager who rang the wrong doorbell at a home in Kansas City, Missouri, last week.
According to Ralph Yarl’s family and attorneys, the 16-year-old was hospitalised with two gunshot wounds, one of which was to the head. They claimed he went to the wrong house, which was approximately a block away, on Thursday night after being instructed to pick up his younger twin brothers from a friend’s house.
The shooter was apprehended, detained for 24 hours, and then released without being charged, however the police stated that the case was still being looked into. Hundreds of protesters marched to the home where Mr. Yarl was shot on Sunday, and family members joined them, according to local news outlets. They demanded justice.
At a news conference on Sunday as a protest was taking place, Chief Stacey Graves of the Kansas City Police Department said, “We recognise the frustration this can cause in the entire criminal justice process.” “I do recognise the racial components of this case, and I do recognise and understand the community’s concern.”
“Like many, I am heartbroken and angered by the recent shooting of a child in our community who was merely coming to a doorstep to pick up his younger siblings,” the mayor, Quinton Lucas, wrote on Twitter. Never should have allowed this to occur.
Requests for additional information regarding the inquiry and Mr. Yarl’s current condition were not met on Monday morning by police, prosecutors, attorneys, or family members.
The family members and their attorneys, Ben Crump and S. Lee Merritt, have provided the majority of the information surrounding the shooting. The attorneys argued that there could be no justification for the release of an armed and dangerous suspect who had admitted to shooting an unarmed, non-threatened, and defenseless kid who had rung his doorbell.
Mr. Crump sent a link to a fundraising website created by Mr. Yarl’s aunt Faith Spoonmore, who stated that her high school junior nephew had forgotten his phone when he went to pick up his siblings.
He went to the wrong home by mistake, which was a block from the home where his brothers were, according to what she wrote. The addresses are on streets with the same names that run parallel to one another: Northeast 115th Street and Northeast 115th Terrace.
She claimed that after her nephew rang the doorbell after pulling into the driveway, a guy answered and shot Mr. Yarl in the head. Where Mr. Yarl was hurt was not disclosed by the police.
“My nephew fell to the ground, and the man shot him again,” Ms. Spoonmore stated. Ralph eventually managed to stand up and run to the neighbor’s house in search of assistance. He was advised to lie on the ground with his hands up, but he had to run to three separate houses before someone eventually consented to help him.
According to Chief Graves, the police were sent to the location around 10 p.m. An investigator chose not to confirm or deny whether the homeowner had contacted 911 at the news conference.
The chief announced at the news conference that the shooter was released after being detained for the full 24-hour time permitted by state law in a felony investigation without being charged.
Chief Graves added that the investigation was looking into a “potential” self-defense or “stand your ground” component. She omitted to mention the boy’s shot count.
According to the chief, detectives are still investigating the matter for Clay County prosecutors to consider. When his injuries permit, Mr. Yarl is anticipated to provide a formal statement to investigators, she added.
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