A grand jury in Colorado vindicated two cops charged in the fatal shooting of a Black teen in August.
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Sgt. Alan Van’t Land and Officer Blake Evenson won’t be charged in the death of 19-year-old De’Von Bailey. According to Buzzfeed, Bailey was shot after he ran away from the cops who were investigating a robbery.
Bailey was shot four times by the officers on Aug 3, after being stopped with another young man, identified as Lawrence Stoker, also 19. The two were being questioned as potential suspects in an armed robbery.
Body cam footage was released, appeared to show the cops ordering to young men to put their hands up, which they do. But shortly after, Bailey makes a run for it, and is fatally shot in the back. Officers did later find a weapon on him, but there is no evidence in the video that he ever reached for it.
On Wednesday, the grand jury unanimously decided the officers use of deadly force was justified.
That verdict hit hard for Bailey’s mother Delisha Searcy.
“The officer that murdered my baby will not be held responsible!!! They say it was justified 😡😡😡 PLEASE pray for me!!! My heart is heavy, it’s just not right!!! I just don’t know what to do right now😞,” she said in a Facebook post.
Because I ask myself everyday……WHY?!?! I mean he was such a good kid and just wanted to be a great father to his…
Posted by Delisha Searcy on Friday, October 18, 2019
The family’s attorney, Darold Killmer told the outlet that the decision was based on a “tainted investigation.”
“The refusal to allow an independent investigation doomed the chances of a fair outcome from the outset,” Killmer said. “This is the result that the Colorado Springs DA’s Office and the police wanted, and it’s the decision they caused to happen.”
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Dan May, the District Attorney disagreed.
“Everyone in the public can see what happened in this case,” he told reporters on Wednesday.
“Colorado law is very carefully crafted,” May said. “If the officer has a reasonable belief that the person has used a deadly weapon in a crime and is still armed, they can use deadly force to prevent that person from being a fleeing felon with that deadly weapon.”
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