U.S. Attorney’s Office and FBI plan to investigate teen’s fatal shooting death
U.S. Attorney Sally Yates and the Federal Bureau of Investigation have agreed to look into the death of 19-year-old Ariston Waiters. The investigation follows a meeting that Yates had today with State Senator Vincent Fort, members of Waiter’s family and their attorney. Waiters was fatally shot by a union city police officer in December.
Before meeting with Yates, Senator Vincent Fort says he’s requesting the investigation because he does not believe justice was served when a grand jury recently decided against indicting Union City police officer Luther Lewis.
“That’s why we’re here this morning, to ask the U.S. attorney does the constitution apply in this case, or can any citizen be taken down by a police officer and murdered in cold blood?”
Waiters was killed by Lewis after police responded to a gunfire call in a union city subdivision. Waiters’ family attorney Mawuli Davis says the 19-year-old was an innocent bystander who was wrongfully pursued and murdered by Lewis.
“He did not fire a gun, he was in no way involved with the very reason the officers came out, yet he ended up dead and that’s the important thing for people to focus on.”
But Lewis’Attorney Al Dixon says Lewis was justified in the shooting. He says Lewis began pursuing Waiters after he ran away from the scene. Dixon says Lewis was in the process of arresting Waiters when the 19-year-began struggling for Lewis’ gun. That’s when Dixon says Lewis fired two shots.
“All that officer Lewis was going to do was handcuff him and take him back around to where the fight had taken place to investigate. And by Ariston resisting and trying to take his gun away from him he created the situation, and officer Lewis did what he had to do.”
Lewis has publicly apologized for the pain Waiters’ death has caused his family. Waiters’ mother says she accepts his apology but still wants justice.
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