Cop Not Charged for Shooting Unarmed Elderly Black Man

A total of 12 witnesses all said that he was unarmed. In spite of this, a 73-year-old black man in Homer, La., was shot in a case that has sparked a great deal of racial tension in the area. What is most intriguing is that the grand jury refused to indict the police officer involved.

A grand jury gave a "no true bill" ruling in the case of Bernard Monroe, the senior citizen who was shot by officer Tim Cox. The ruling implies that the case will not go to trial, and the group rejected from consideration all charges, including murder, manslaughter and negligent homicide.

In this tiny town of 3,800, many citizens were outraged last February when Bernard Monroe, a man who was left voiceless by cancer, was shot by a police officer. The police have stated that Monroe was armed during the shooting, but witnesses are telling a different story.

The grand jury heard 20 witnesses over a two-day period, according to Kurt Wall, director of the Criminal Division of the State Attorney General's office. The local prosecutor recused himself, causing the Attorney General to step in.

"We believe it was a full, complete, accurate and thorough presentation conducted at a neutral site. We respect the grand jury's decision," Wall told the media.

The situation has not yet come to an end. The Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) is now stepping in to investigate the case. Also, the local chapter of the NAACP is angered by what has happened to Mr. Monroe.

"I am so disappointed," said the Rev. Willie Young Sr. "When you have 12 witnesses that say the man did not have a gun, and he was gunned down by police, what are you supposed to believe? We are left with the belief that police in Homer have a license to kill."

According to reports, Bernard Monroe was shot by Officer Cox on February 20, after Cox and another officer were chasing Monroe's son through the house. They eventually shocked his son with a stun gun in the yard. Bernard Monroe was in the yard with several family members at a cookout when the incident took place.

When it comes to the Bernard Monroe shooting the bottom line is this:

1) We cannot jump to judgment in this case: The FBI has come in to investigate. I am hopeful that after due process has occurred, we can get to the bottom of this incident. The Rev. Al Sharpton, however, has already held a march in the area, and in spite of what some may think about Rev. Sharpton's involvement, I am well aware that he does a thorough investigation himself before deciding to intervene in police-shooting incidents. There appears to be evidence that this shooting may have been an abuse of police authority.

2) If police did abuse their authority, this is reflective of a problem that is far too common: All across the country, many citizens are afraid of the police. It should not be the case that in a supposedly free society, we must be fearful of another human being arbitrarily applying his wrath on to those who disagree with him. I've seen cops go overboard on multiple occasions for no good reason, and the day of the rogue police officer must come to an end.

3) Let's hope this is not a case of dirty small town justice: When my team worked on the case of Heather Ellis, the college student who faced 15 years in prison in an incident that stemmed from her cutting a line at a Walmart, I learned a great deal about how things happen in small towns behind closed doors. Nowhere is this more true than in the South, where people are consistently arrested for crimes they did not commit. One case that comes to mind is that of Rodney Stanberry, a man for whom there is very little evidence to support the years he has spent serving time for a murder conviction. Another is the case of Jamie and Gladis Scott, two sisters who have served a number of years for a crime that many believe they did not commit. What is most sad about this reality is that the justice system still does not work in favor of black people, especially if they are poor. Additionally, this system is destroying black families everywhere.

I call on organizations, such as The National Black Law Students Association, to get to the forefront of these issues and use their legal expertise to systematically confront these issues and bring long-awaited justice to the African-American community. If they don't step up to the plate on these issues, then no one can. We've got to work together to make this situation right.

Dr. Boyce Watkins is the founder of the Your Black World Coalition. To have Dr. Boyce commentary delivered to your email, please click here.

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