On August 24, 2009, two white Rockford police officers shot and killed 23 year old Mark Anthony Barmore, an African American man. The police were pursuing Mr. Barmore on an alleged domestic violence warrant. Witnesses report that when the police shot Mr. Barmore his hands were up in a surrender pose. A witness says that Mr. Barmore came out of hiding with his hands up and his head down. The police shot him and he slumped over a sink, falling to the ground. Then, he was shot again.
Nevertheless, the police officers shot their guns and hit Mr. Barmore 4 times. The incident happened inside a daycare facility where about a dozen young children witnessed the shooting.
Reverend Jesse Jackson has called the shooting of Mr. Barmore, a “classic civil rights case.” The public is concerned about any potential impact that race had on Mr. Barmore’s death. Accordingly, Cook County investigators and the U.S. Department of Justice have been called to participate in the investigation of this case. The officers remain on administrative leave while the incident is reviewed.
While our country has made great strides in the area of civil rights, there is still much work to be done. Whether or not these white officers shot this young man because he was black, we know that racial discrimination plays a very real role in the treatment many citizens receive from the police.
If you have been the victim of discrimination then it is important to contact Chicago civil rights attorneys who can help you with any legal action that may be brought against police officers or other government officials.