Council President Marco Sommerville Calls for Calm
Posted: 04/05/2007
An open letter to the Akron Community from Council President Marco Sommerville, April 3, 2007
The death of 19-year-old Demetrus Vinson is tragic, and it is especially disheartening for me because I have spoken out so many times about the senseless violence that is taking away so many of our young people before their time.
In fact, stories concerning the Vinson shooting and the January shooting death of 18-year-old Shawrica Lester both appeared on the front page of The Beacon Journal on the same day last week. Demetrus, Shawrica and too many other young, black Akron residents are dying too quickly and too frequently lately.
With regard to the Vinson story, everyone in city government and law enforcement is in complete agreement that we must learn all of the facts surrounding this young man’s death. In the meantime, I would ask for calm and an end to speculation in the controversial shooting death while special investigators offer second opinions.
There has been a lot of reaction from the community, and people are deservedly sad and angry. After all, Horace and Beverly Vinson have lost a son. Chance Baker lost a friend. But let us wait and see what all of the facts are before anybody rushes to any opinions.
For this reason, the city has invited a special prosecutor from Cuyahoga County and representatives from the U.S. Department of Justice to look carefully into all details surrounding the incident, including reviewing police procedures that March morning.
Also, an attorney for the Vinson family will also bring in another investigator to offer another opinion. We on Council are renewing calls for an independent police auditor to oversee police investigations into citizen complaints over police procedures.
I understand questions about the accounts of events and the medical examiner’s report, and members of Council and myself will make sure all the facts are on the table, and make sure all facts are looked at independently.
Until then, I beg all of us for cooler heads and an end to divisive rhetoric until all questions have been answered.
There is no right or wrong response to a tragedy like this, but I can’t imagine that speculation and accusations without the facts are doing any good toward the investigation, or more importantly for the Vinson family.
Meanwhile, let us work on healing and rebuilding our community so that no one with ill intentions – be they black or white - can have unchecked access to our valuable young people.
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Editor’s Note: Demetrus Vinson, 19, was shot and killed in the vehicle he was driving in the early morning hours of March 17 during a police stop on Akron’s North side. Akron police reported they stopped Vinson after observing him leaving a known drug house in the area. According to news reports, police fired three shots at Vinson after observing him grab a gun from under his seat. Police initially took responsibility for his death, but later the Summit County Coroner concluded his death was a suicide after the examination. The confusing stories and accounts of events produced an outcry among community activists and friends and relatives of Vinson’s family. Large crowds of demonstrators descended upon City Council chambers and demanded answers during Council meetings following Vinson’s death.