USA Racism

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Protests erupted in Kansas City, Missouri, over the weekend after a homeowner shot a black teenager twice who rang their doorbell by mistake.

Ralph Yarl, 16, was sent by his parents to pick up his brothers from a friend's house on 13 April, but went to the wrong address.

The suspect shot Mr Yarl through his door. The teen took one shot in the head, say his family and their lawyers.

Police have released the shooter from custody but not identified them.

Mr Yarl was released from hospital on Sunday and is recovering at home with his family, his father Paul Yarl told the Kansas City Star.

"He continues to improve," his father told the paper. "He is responsive and is making good progress."

Prominent civil rights lawyers Ben Crump and Lee Merritt are representing Mr Yarl's family in the case. They criticised officials for releasing the suspect, who they say is a white male.


"You can't just shoot people without having justification when somebody comes knocking on your door - and knocking on your door is not justification. This guy should be charged," Mr Crump said.

The suspect was taken to police headquarters to provide a statement before being released. In Missouri, a person taken into custody for a felony investigation must be released or charged within 24 hours.

Investigators are looking into whether or not the suspect is protected by the state's Stand-Your-Ground laws, which grant people permission to use deadly force if they feel seriously in danger. Critics say such laws facilitate violence against black people.

"I do recognise the racial components of this case," Kansas City Police Chief Stacey Graves said. "I do recognise and understand the community's concern and the community's response to this particular incident."


On Sunday hundreds of protesters gathered near the house where the shooting happened, chanting "black lives matter" and "justice for Ralph".

"This was not an 'error', this was a hate crime," Mr Yarl's aunt, Faith Spoonmore, told the Kansas City Defender. "You don't shoot a child in the head because he rang your doorbell. The fact that the police said it was an 'error' is why America is the way it is."



Ms Spoonmore set up a GoFundMe page to raise money for her nephew's care. According to the page, Mr Yarl meant to pick up his brothers at an address on 115th Terrace but wound up on 115th Street.

The page says, "My nephew fell to the ground, and the man shot him again. Ralph was then able to get up and run to the neighbour's house, looking for help."
The GoFundMe page also describes the teen as "one of the top bass clarinet players in Missouri", one who "plays multiple instruments in the metropolitan youth orchestra".

The page had raised $1.5m (£1.2m) as of Monday afternoon local time.

Celebrities like Halle Berry, Kerry Washington and Jennifer Hudson have taken to social media demanding justice and voicing their support for the Yarl family.
 
"You can't just shoot people without having justification when somebody comes knocking on your door - and knocking on your door is not justification. This guy should be charged," Mr Crump said.
If this is what happened, the shooter needs to be locked up for sure. No one should have to worry about ringing a doorbell or knocking on a door.
The fact that the police said it was an 'error'
Why would someone even be carrying a gun to the door?
 
Why would someone even be carrying a gun to the door?
Racism, unfair assumptions about a black person they don't know. The crazy gun privilege in the USA.

If this is what happened, the shooter needs to be locked up for sure. No one should have to worry about ringing a doorbell or knocking on a door.
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An 84-year-old man in Missouri accused of shooting a black teenager who mistakenly rang his doorbell has turned himself in, authorities said.

I can't believe it's not happening!!! :mad:

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Andrew Lester was released after posting 10% of the total $200,000 (£160,000) bail amount.

Mr Lester, who is white, allegedly shot Ralph Yarl, 16, who is black, once in the head and once in the arm last Thursday night. The boy survived.

He has been charged with first-degree assault and armed criminal action.



Don't the below statements contradict each other? :o
A prosecutor said there was a "racial component" to the shooting.

Mr Lester has not been charged with a hate crime, and charging documents do not describe any alleged racial bias.


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Mr Lester has not denied shooting the boy, telling authorities he believed he was protecting himself from a confrontation. Prosecutors have said that Ralph "did not cross the threshold" of Mr Lester's home.

Wow on the bold.
Police initially detained Mr Lester for questioning and released him without charges, sparking protests throughout Kansas City on Sunday.

On Monday, prosecutor Zachary Thompson announced Mr Lester had been charged with first-degree assault and armed criminal action. If convicted, he could face life in prison.

News on Ralph, let's just hope...
On Tuesday, Ralph's mother Cleo Nagbe told CBS News that her son had returned home from hospital, surrounded by a team of medical professionals.

He is expected to recover, Ms Nagbe said, stunning his own doctors, who said they had no idea how he survived.

Lee Merritt, a lawyer for the Yarl family, told BBC News that Ralph was suffering from speech problems and had a long road to recovery.

"I think he's an amazing kid," said Mr Merritt. He said the boy was surprised by all the attention the case has been getting.

"It's a big deal because the community is tired of their children being victimised and Ralph will make the change."
 

Kansas City homeowner pleads not guilty to assault in shooting of Black teen​

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An 84-year-old white man charged in the shooting and wounding of a Black teenager who mistakenly walked up to the man's house in Kansas City pleaded not guilty to felony charges on Wednesday during his first court appearance in the case.
Andrew Lester would face a maximum sentence of life in prison if convicted of first-degree assault, as charged, for shooting Ralph Yarl, 16, on the doorstep of his suburban home late last Thursday night. He also was charged with armed criminal action, punishable by up to 15 years in prison.
He entered not guilty pleas to both counts during a brief arraignment in a Clay County courtroom, online court records showed.

With his attorney at his side, the defendant walked up to the bench with the help of a cane and briefly spoke with judge, video footage of the session showed.

Lester surrendered to police on Tuesday, but was subsequently released on $200,000 bond.


The ill-fated encounter occurred when Yarl had walked up to Lester's house around 10 p.m. to pick up his younger siblings, who were at a nearby house with a similar address, according to authorities.
Lester fired two shots through a glass door with a .32-caliber revolver, prosecutors said. Yarl, who was struck in the head and an arm, did not cross the threshold, and it was not believed that any words were exchanged before the gunfire, according to Clay County prosecutor Zachary Thompson.

However, local media, citing court documents, reported that Yarl told police who interviewed him at the hospital that Lester told him: "Don't come around here."

Thompson has said the case has "a racial component," without elaborating. Prosecutors have not filed hate-crime charges, which carry lesser penalties in Missouri than the two counts Lester faces.
The teen has been recovering at home, according to his family.

Lester was initially taken into custody, placed on a 24-hour investigative hold, then released pending an interview with Yarl and the collection of forensic evidence.

His swift release fueled days of protests.

In another case of a person being shot after going to the wrong address, a homeowner in upstate New York fatally wounded a 20-year-old woman on Saturday when she turned onto the wrong driveway while looking for a friend’s home.

Two Texas cheerleaders were also shot northeast of Austin after they got into the wrong car in a grocery store parking lot early on Tuesday. In both the New York and Texas incidents, the shooters have been charged with felonies.
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Lester fired two shots through a glass door with a .32-caliber revolver
This guy didn't even look to see who was at the door? WOW

Here is more on this.
Lester, who is white, told police he had just gotten in bed when he heard the doorbell. Before answering, he grabbed his revolver. Lester said he then saw Yarl, who is Black, pulling on the storm door handle, something Yarl disputes, according to the probable cause statement.

Lester told police he thought the teen was attempting to break into the home and he was “scared to death,” the statement said. Without saying a word, Lester fired twice.

Yarl said the first shot struck him in the head, knocking him to the ground. As he lay there, the second bullet pierced his arm. Yarl told police he fled as the homeowner yelled, “Don’t come around here,” the statement said.

Lester was charged with first-degree assault Monday and turned himself in Tuesday.
 
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@fords8 not sure if you noticed - your post contains the same information as mine, with the exception of the below. :cool:

This guy didn't even look to see who was at the door? WOW
I suppose that fact deems any hate crime allegation void. :sneaky:
I should have referenced that in my original post from the BBC article, as that's shocking :eek:

Lester, who is white, told police he had just gotten in bed when he heard the doorbell. Before answering, he grabbed his revolver. Lester said he then saw Yarl, who is Black, pulling on the storm door handle, something Yarl disputes, according to the probable cause statement.

Lester told police he thought the teen was attempting to break into the home and he was “scared to death,” the statement said. Without saying a word, Lester fired twice.

Yarl said the first shot struck him in the head, knocking him to the ground. As he lay there, the second bullet pierced his arm. Yarl told police he fled as the homeowner yelled, “Don’t come around here,” the statement said.

Lester was charged with first-degree assault Monday and turned himself in Tuesday.
Thanks for sharing the quoted! Do you have a link to that please? Would be interesting to have a read of the original :)
 
This is so sad. I firstly read these news from a certain forum I was like wondering why the home owner did this to the boy?
Missing addresses in the US is something that is very normal and most houses look alike.
I am however glad that he survived and he is recovering.
 
This is so sad. I firstly read these news from a certain forum I was like wondering why the home owner did this to the boy?
He was asleep and shot the guy without checking who it was, of course that's no excuse. :mad::mad::mad:

Missing addresses in the US is something that is very normal and most houses look alike.
I wasn't aware of that! Thanks for sharing! :)

I am however glad that he survived and he is recovering.
Same! But he's been left with a learning disability for life :(
 
He was asleep and shot the guy without checking who it was, of course that's no excuse. :mad::mad::mad:


I wasn't aware of that! Thanks for sharing! :)


Same! But he's been left with a learning disability for life :(
Must he shoot the boy even of he didn't checked who was shooting.Was he waiting for someone that he shoots on the door? And the fact that he is not in the police custody. I think there is something fishy.
 
Must he shoot the boy even of he didn't checked who was shooting.Was he waiting for someone that he shoots on the door? And the fact that he is not in the police custody. I think there is something fishy.
One word. RACISM.

he didn't checked who was shooting
Oh, I also think this was an excuse to escape being accused of racism
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If they don't end up convicting the man on 1st degree murder, then the justice system in USA is a piece of ****. Simply because he was black, that was his assumptions he was trying to break into his house when he actually knocked. May the poor boy's soul rest in peace and may he get justice.
 
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