Jesse Jackson Wants Justice Dept. Investigation Into Handcuffed Shooting
(Memphis) – Civil rights leader Jesse Jackson began his day in Memphis meeting with reporters. He’s hoping to get the word out locally and nationally about his concerns surrounding Chavis Carter’s death. Carter was shot in the back of a Jonesboro, AR police car while handcuffed. The police say he shot himself.
Rev. Jackson was joined by the mother of Chavis Carter and her attorney, Benjamin Irwin. They explained why the Jonesboro police department’s story of what happened to Carter in the back of that police car doesn’t add up.
Jackson said, “Handcuffed. Left handed. Still he shot himself in the right temple with his left hand while being handcuffed. That is a kind of Houdini explanation that goes beyond belief,” said Rev. Jesse Jackson, Rainbow Push Coalition.
Jackson’s trip to Memphis today got the attention of local and national media. He hopes to create the same kind of outcry that occurred when unarmed teen Trayvon Martin was killed. He calls this re-enactment video produced by Jonesboro police “just acting”. He says the real proof likely lies in the dash-cam video.
“He’s sober. He’s walking. He’s talking and there’s a blank in the tape and then he’s dead. And, we’re told that he committed suicide when in fact they had frisked and searched him twice and found no weapon,” said Jackson.
About 3 minutes of the video is missing. It picks up after Carter is shot. The attorney for the Carter family says they want the rest of the clip.
“We’re not going to do what exactly has been done already which has been this rush to judgement. This decision to say its suicide and nothing else. We don’t know what happened that night but we are going to conduct a thorough investigation to figure out what it was, what occurred that night,” said Benjamin Irwin, Carter family attorney.
Carter’s mother was mostly silent today but is thankful for the new attention to her son’s case.
She said, “It means so much to me. It means a whole lot. a whole lot.”
