Mother Watches Police Shoot Black Teen Hours After Her Own Was Killed By Cops
Englewood resident Stacey Liberty watched police shoot and kill 15 year-old Michael Westley just hours after learning that her own son – 24-year old Antwoyn Johnson – had been killed by police as well.
Police allege that both young men were reaching for guns when they were shot.
However, Johnson’s family disputes this, and says the police shot him three times in the back.
Johnson jumped out of the car and began running, police said in a statement. Cops chased him into an alley, where he slipped and fell to the ground. As Johnson got up, police said, he appeared to be reaching for a weapon in his waistband.
Officers opened fire, killing Johnson.
Johnson’s family claims police never recovered a weapon and that officers shot Johnson three times in his back. A spokesman for the Independent Police Review Authority, which investigates officer-involved shootings, refused to comment Monday since the case is ongoing.
“They shot my son for no reason,” Liberty said. “He panicked because he doesn’t like police. He gets out of the car and runs. You automatically think just because he’s black, he has a gun on him?”
A tragic, harrowing series of events. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of these two young men.
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