Rally at the Dearborn Heights police station demanding justice for Renisha McBride who shot to death outside a home in the suburb of Detroit. Her assailant has not been arrested., a photo by Pan-African News Wire File Photos on Flickr.
By Khalil AlHajal
kalhajal@mlive.com
November 07, 2013 at 7:27 PM
DEARBORN HEIGHTS, MI -- Activists who gathered to protest outside Dearborn Heights Police headquarters Thursday night acknowledged that they don't know every detail that led to the slaying of Renisha McBride, but said an unarmed 19-year-old woman being shot to death should be enough to warrant an arrest.
McBride of Detroit was shot to death early Saturday morning outside a Dearborn Heights home on Outer Drive, where her family believes she was seeking help after a car accident.
The Wayne County Prosecutor's office said Thursday morning that it needed more information from Dearborn Heights police before an arrest warrant could be issued.
The shooter told police he thought McBride was breaking into his home and that his shotgun fired accidentally.
"I don't have all of the facts, but I'm outraged that a 19-year-old was shot in the face and no one has been arrested," said Dream Hampton, one of the organizers of the demonstration.
About 50 demonstrators gathered to demand an arrest. There carried signs that read "Justice for Renisha" and repeatedly chanted the victim's name.
"I don't need the whole story at this point," said Hampton. "I need somebody in handcuffs, whether the charge is manslaughter... or whatever."
Supporters from around the region were there, but no relatives of McBride appeared.
A person claiming to be a representative of the family told reporters just before the gathering that the protest would be cancelled.
Valerie Burris of Detroit said she took part in the demonstration because the victim could have been her own daughter.
"It makes no sense," she said. "She was just looking for some help... This young lady could have been my daughter.
"Black life is so devalued... It makes people like the one who did that so full of fear. If this man was afraid, he could have just picked up the phone and dialed 911."
The incident has sparked widespread outrage and social media activity reminiscent of the response to the 2012 Florida shooting of Trayvon Martin, a black teenager who was shot and killed by a neighborhood watch volunteer.
"It's amazing that in 2013, we still see the lack of value on African American life," said Rev. David Bullock of Greater St. Matthew Baptist Church in Highland Park.
"We though it was just in Sanford, Florida, but it's also Dearborn Heights, Michigan... We cannot let the system that is supposed to deliver justice off the hook. We understand there is a process, but you remember when Trayvon Martin was killed... they were shuffling their feet."
He said there may not have been any prosecution in that case had there not been a national outcry. The shooter, George Zimmerman, was ultimately acquitted.
"If I knock on somebody's door and they are worried why I'm there, they can call 911," Bullock said. "They can come to the door and say 'I'm not opening the door. What do you want?'
"... We cannot stand here and say it is normal to kill a stranger just because you are afraid."
Sam Riddle of the National Action Network said Detroit activists have been in contact with Rev. Al Sharpton and expect him to weigh in on the matter soon.
Sharpton is a nationally known civil rights leader with an ability to mobilize widespread demonstrations.
"Had she been a white woman and the shooter a black man," activist Dawud Walid asked the crowd, "would the shooter be sitting comfortably at home watching TV today?"
Follow MLive Detroit reporter Khalil AlHajal on Twitter @DetroitKhalil or on Facebook at Detroit Khalil. He can be reached at kalhajal@mlive.com or 313-643-0527.
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