Detroit NAACP Calls for arrest of man who killed Renisha McBride
The Detroit chapter of the NAACP, along with Ultra Violet, is demanding that the man who fatally shot a 19-year-old woman in the face be arrested.
On Saturday November 2, 19-year-old Renisha McBride got stranded after a car wreck in the Detroit suburb of Dearborn Heights.
With her cell phone battery dead, McBride went to the nearest house seeking help. Instead, the owner of the house fatally shot her in the face. Michigan is one of at least 22 states with “Stand Your Ground” law. Similar to the case of George Zimmerman, gun owners in the state are allowed to use deadly force if they feel that their lives are in danger.
No one should have to fear getting shot when asking for help. That’s why we’re supporting the Detroit NAACP’s call for an end to the violence–starting with a full investigation of Renisha’s murder.
The man who shot Renisha probably did see her as threatening–she was a black teen in a majority white neighborhood, just like Trayvon Martin. Investigations have shown that when the victim is black, people are more likely to use “Stand Your Ground” as a defense. Nobody should have to fear that the color of their skin makes them a target.
Michigan prosecutors are currently weighing whether or not to charge McBride’s shooter. The 54-year-old man says that he feared that his home was in jeopardy, and accidentally fired the firearm at Renisha McBride. A petition coined by the association calls for the Detroit Police Department, and the Wayne County Prosecutor to fully investigate the incident and bring Renisha’s killer to justice.
View and sign the petition here.
Thoughts on prosecutors “weighing” whether they should charge the man who fatally shot Renisha?
Is this Trayvon Martin all over again?
Sound off below!
