Chester residents want video from November police shooting made public
Deaths at the hands of police have caused protests around America, and hit close to home for Chester residents.
Many in this South Carolina town gathered Thursday evening at Metropolian AME Zion Church for a “unity rally.” They protested the police killing of George Floyd in Minnesota, but kept focus on the November killing of Ariane McCree by Chester police.
Many in Chester continue to ask that video from McCree’s shooting be made public by South Carolina officials.
Lawyers for the McCree family, and Chester Police Department Chief Eric Williams, confirmed to The Herald Thursday that McCree’s immediate family members and their legal team have seen all the videos. Those videos include police body cam and Walmart video, the police and lawyers said.
McCree died after a shoplifting incident outside a Walmart, law enforcement and prosecutor officials said. South Carolina prosecutors called the shooting by police self-defense and have brought no criminal charges against the officers.
McCree, 28, was handcuffed but had a gun and charged at police when he was fatally shot Nov. 23, according to the State Law Enforcement Divison and the S.C. Attorney General’s Office.
Video from the incident has not been made public.
Civil Rights activist John Barnett, leader of the group True Healing Under God, was asked by organizers to speak at Thursday’s rally. Barnett said the video should be viewed by the public who have legitimate concerns about police shootings.
“We need to see the video,” Barnett told the crowd. “Who here wants to see that video?”
Almost everyone in the crowd of 75 or so people raised their hands.
McCree’s mother was present bud did not speak.
Rev. Earl Stringfellow, who told the crowd he is McCree’s uncle, said the family will not stop fighting until it receives justice in the shooting of McCree. He said the police did not have to shoot McCree.
Gail McCullough of Chester told the crowd that the people of Chester should keep fighting to see that justice is done.
“What happened to Ariane McCree never should have happened,” McCullough said. “It could be your family, or my family.”
McCree’s family filed a civil lawsuit earlier this year against the Chester Police Department, the City of Chester and Walmart, claiming wrongful death and that McCree’s civil rights were violated. That lawsuit remains pending in federal court.
In April, McCree’s lawyers wrote in federal court documents that are part of the lawsuit that police fired at least 25 shots at McCree while he was handcuffed.
McCree has been painted by police as “just another shoplifter who failed to follow police orders,’ the lawyers wrote.
The lawyers also wrote in April court filings that the videos of black men killed by police, including Michael Slager in Charleston and Eric Garner in New York, show a different story than what was released publicly by law enforcement officials.
“The video evidence that surfaced in each of these cases told a vastly different story than the official statements after these deaths,’ the lawyer wrote. “Through these videos, witness statements were undermined, additional evidence was located, and the civil rights litigation that followed led to meaningful reform in these communities and brought needed accountability against those who sought to shield the truth from public scrutiny,”
The theme of racial injustice in America was brought up by several speakers at Thursday’s rally. Rev. Angela Boyd said protesting is justified to combat police killings and racial injustice.
“We are thankful to stand in a movement that is right,” Douglas said. “Racism will die. We will win this fight.”
Moe Brown, a former University of South Carolina football player running as a Democrat for the 5th District Congressional seat currently held by Republican Ralph Norman, told the crowd that protesting injustice is an American right and people who demand justice must unite to make change..
Brown did not mention McCree, but did mention George Floyd’s death.
“We are going to hold them accountable,” Brown said. “Each and every one of us have to act.”
This story was originally published June 5, 2020 at 9:01 AM with the headline "Chester residents want video from November police shooting made public."
