Daniel Covington: Football Player Shot, Shooter Not Arrested

Daniel Covington is a former football player for the University of Louisville. His recent shooting death has been the subject of controversy in the southern urban center of Louisville, Ky. Covington was shot at 2:30 a.m. in downtown Louisville on Sept.16. The shooter was Isaiah Howes, who happens to be a former baseball star at the same school as his victim. The shooting allegedly took place after Covington attacked Howe by reaching into his car and punching him. The incident occurred after a prior altercation at a local bar. Howe shot through his brother's hand and hit Covington in the torso. Covington died at the scene.

The shooting of Daniel Covington has led to an uproar in the black communities of Louisville and nearby Lexington. Many residents are angry that the shooter has not been charged despite the fact that many claim he left the scene. They also wonder why Howes chose to pull out a gun to shoot someone in a fist fight.

The attorney for Isaiah Howes says that his client was a victim as well. He argues that the shooting was in self-defense, and that Howes had no choice but to use the gun. He also denies that his client used any racial slurs toward Covington, as some have indicated.

"He didn't choose to have Mr. Covington attack him. He did absolutely nothing but choose to drive his car," said attorney Bart Adams.

Of course the attorney's story is being refuted by Covington's friends, family and supporters. Their argument is that if a black man had shot a white man, there would have been an arrest on the scene. Covington's family has hired a prominent attorney in the area, Steve Pence, to represent them. Pence met with Louisville Police Chief Robert White to discuss the case.

"I refuse to accept the story that's been portrayed," D.J. Piercy, a friend of Covington's said.

"Daniel was a very down-to-earth person. Wouldn't definitely start anything," Marcus Folmar, one of Covington's former teammates, had to say.

Howe has been arrested in the past for crimes involving alcohol, making threats and possessing guns. Some in the community say he is being protected by privilege.

I know the University of Louisville well. Both of my parents graduated from the institution and so did my younger brother. I grew up as a serious and committed fan of Louisville basketball, and I was sorely disappointed when I wasn't able to get a scholarship to attend the university myself. As much as I love Kentucky, I am quite familiar with the existence of white privilege in a state where African Americans have long been considered to be second-class citizens.

When my best friend was shot and killed in the city of Louisville, the media barely took notice. But on the same day, a white woman from the suburbs was killed and every television station, radio station and newspaper went into Nancy Grace mode trying to find the killer of this "loving mother of two." My friend also had a child, but no one cared about his life or his daughter's, since the life of a black man has never been considered as valuable as that of a white one.

I am not one to presume that Howes should be incarcerated for what he's done to the family of Daniel Covington. But I can't help but wonder the following: If a black man with a history of arrests for alcohol and gun violations were to shoot a white man in the middle of the night, would the case be treated the same way? I think you know the answer to that question.

Daniel Covington's family deserves answers. This certainly does not appear to add up. Rev. James Tennyson is asking questions about the death, too: "All of the story is not coming out," he said. "We feel like answers need to come forth [about] why this young man lost his life, why he got out of the car and went to the other vehicle."

One must certainly wonder whether Howes exhausted every available option before deciding to shoot Covington. If there was another man in the car, why didn't he help him fight Covington off? Why didn't Howes just smash the gas pedal and drive away? Did someone really have to die in the middle of a fist fight? In the case of Daniel Covington, there are quite a few questions that need to be answered, and they should be answered now.

Dr. Boyce Watkins is the founder of the Your Black World Coalition and a Scholarship in Action resident of the Institute for Black Public Policy. To have Dr. Boyce's commentary delivered to your e-mail, please click here.