MANY CITIZENS HAVE TAKEN TO THE STREETS ACROSS THE COUNTRY TO PROTEST THE DEATHS OF BLACK PEOPLE AT THE HANDS OF LAW ENFORCEMENT.
Black Protester Shot Dead In Nebraska
June 1, 2020
By: Breanna Edwards
James Scurlock, 22, was shot and killed in Omaha, Nebraska on Saturday while protesting the officer-involved death of George Floyd.
According to KETV, Police Chief Todd Schmaderer confirmed that police had someone connected to Scurlock’s death was in custody as of Sunday night, but that individual’s identity has not officially been released, nor have any charges been determined.
“Any charging decision on that front will come from the county attorney’s office,” Schmaderer said. “And he tells me that will be accompanied by a press conference.”
Shannon Watts✔@shannonrwatts
James Scurlock, a 22-year-old Black man, was shot and killed by a white bar owner on Saturday night in Omaha, Nebraska, during a George Floyd protest. Witnesses said the gunman used racial slurs before the shooting. #JamesScurlock https://www.thedailybeast.com/black-protester-james-scurlock-shot-to-death-outside-omaha-bar …
However, the Daily Beast reports that other local outlets, including the Omaha World-Herald, have identified the suspect as Jake Gardener, who owns two bars near the area where Scurlock was shot, the Hive and the Gatsby.
Scurlock was shot outside of the Hive, which, according to the Beast, has faced several complaints on social media for discriminating against Black patrons.
Scurlock’s family is now asking for peace as well as justice, KETV reports.
“Last night I lost a son, my wife lost a son, my kids lost a brother,” James Scurlock II told the news station. “His daughter lost a father. All because he decided to protest against racism. There’s a lot of speculation and rumors about how this happened. I don’t really care to be honest. My family wants closure and peace. I’ve already been harassed by people.”
“What we want is for this to go to court and get a full prosecution. We want this to go with justice and go peacefully,” Scurlock II added.
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Protests erupted across the country and overseas as people flocked to the streets of Baltimore, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Louisville, New York City and other areas to protest the recent deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and the countless other Black lives that have been lost at the hands of law enforcement.
In Los Angeles, what started as peaceful protests, quickly escalated once the Los Angeles Police Department began to use forceful tactics on protestors. In New York City, cop cars literally ran down protestors as onlookers caught it on camera. And during a fiery Friday night in Atlanta, Mayor Keshia Lance Bottoms passionately tried to plead to citizens to stop destroying the city during a press conference.
In one of the most provocative protest scenes, a former building in Fayetteville, NC that was once used to sell slaves, was set on fire from the inside.
On Saturday morning, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey rebuked the rioting and looting in the city where George Floyd was killed by police officer Derek Chauvin.
“This is no longer about verbal expression. This is about violence and we need to make sure that it stops. We’re in the middle of a pandemic right now. We have two crises that are sandwiched on top of one another. In order to make sure that we continue to have the necessary community institutions, we need to make sure that our businesses are protected, that they are safe, and that they are secure,” Frey said, according to CNN.
“Gradually that shift was made and we saw more and more people coming from outside of the city. We saw more and more people looking to cause violence in our communities, and I have to say, it is not acceptable,” Frey said.
“This is no longer about verbal expression. This is about violence and we need to make sure that it stops,” he added.
In Los Angeles, Mayor Garcetti implemented a curfew for Los Angeles from 8pm-5a.m.
“Whether you wear a badge or whether you hold a sign, I’m asking all of Los Angeles to take a deep breath and step back for a moment,” Garcetti said in the conference. “To allow our firefighters to put out the flames. To allow our peace officers to re-establish some order. And, to let them protect your rights to be out there.”
During Saturday afternoon, thousands of protestors in Los Angeles took to the streets of Beverly Hills, where they were met with opposition from the police.
