The murder of Trayvon Martin has heightened media coverage behind unjust shootings, and while accused killer George Zimmerman was arrested for the crime, there are still tons of families fighting for a similar outcome. The latest example comes by way of a Chicago woman named of Rekia Boyd, who was gunned down by an off-duty police officer in late March.
Boyd’s family filed a lawsuit against Chicago Police Department Det. Dante Servin, the man who pulled his unmarked vehicle up to the 22-year-old as she and others stood outside in the Chicago neighborhood known as Lawndale. According to the family, Servin told the group to “shut up,” kicking-off a verbal altercation that ended with Boyd being shot in the head. She passed away at Mt. Sinia Hospital roughly 24 hours after the incident.
Servin has justified his actions by claiming that another man in the crowd, Anthony Cross—who sustained a bullet wound to his hand— was carrying a weapon. The alleged “weapon” was actually a cell-phone. “Rekia Boyd was shot and killed on March 21, 2012, without any legal justification,” said Boyd family attorney, James Montgomery, during a press conference. “Her young life was snuffed out by an aggressive, intimidating police officer who provoked the confrontation and when met with a verbal rejoinder took the life of an innocent young woman.”
This is of course one of many police shooting cases that have resulted in the shooting of an innocent black person. Late last week officials in White Plains, N.Y. announced that officers would not face criminal charges for killing Marine veteran Kenneth Chamberlain. The 68-year-old was shot in his apartment last November, after police stormed the unit.
MORE ON HIP-HOP WIRED!
• Bangin Candy: Floyd Mayweather Jr’s Fiancé Shantel Jackson [PHOTOS]
• A Journey Into Adam Yauch & The Beastie Boys’ Stylistic Legacy [PHOTOS]
• 8 Things You Must Know About The Avengers Before Watching The Movie
• Bangin Candy: Gorgeous Looking, Ridiculously Bodied UK Model Tabby Brown [PHOTOS]
• Evelyn Lozada, Kandi Burress & Chrissy Lampkin Get Frisky For The Camera [PHOTOS]
—
Photo: Facebook
