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St. Louis American Section C
The
CAC Audited JANUARY 13 – 19, 2022
Serving, empowering and advocating for equity in St. Louis since 1928
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Vol. 93 No. 42 COMPLIMENTARY
Shooting of Black man justified, coroner’s inquest finds
White neighbor not charged in death The St. Louis American staff Six Missouri residents on Tuesday found the shooting death of a 28-year-old Black man by his white neighbor in November justified, disappointing civil rights activists working with his family. The residents were selected as a jury for a coroner’s inquest into the killing of Justin King on Nov. 3 outside of his neighbor’s house in a trailer park in Steelville. They ruled the shooting was an act of self-defense and thus is justifiable under Missouri’s “castle doctrine,” which allows residents to use force against
Justin King’s mother, Eva Bruns, pleads for justice for her son in Spanish Lake Thursday, Nov. 11, 2021. King’s family appeared before his visitation to demand answers and justice in the 28-year-old man’s shooting death in Bourbon, Missouri, about 70 miles southwest of St. Louis.
intruders, without the duty to retreat, based on the notion their home is their “castle.” At the time of King’s death, his family demanded the police arrest the neighbor who shot and killed King. The Crawford County Sheriff’s Department took the neighbor into custody briefly after the shooting before releasing him the same day, writing on Facebook all the evidence they collected corroborated the neighbor’s account of self-defense. Several online comments from neighbors indicated King was well liked and also cast doubt on the See SHOOTING, A6
Photo by Dana Rieck / St. Louis American
Police Chief John Hayden postpones retirement Mayor wants to scrap current search completely
By Dana Rieck The St. Louis American
Photo by Wiley Price / St. Louis American
Advocating safe streets
Mothers Advocating Safe Streets held its 30th candle light service Jan. 7, without its founder Jeanette Culpepper who passed away in 2021. Praise dancer Aliya Marcano performed in her honor during the event at Williams Temple C.O.G.I.C. St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones noted the 2021 drop in shootings while calling for further improvements.
MLK Commission to honor conservative Sen. Roy Blunt
By Alvin A. Reid St. Louis American
U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt, who continues to side with fellow GOP senators in opposition to a vote on the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act and For The People Act will receive the Henry Givens, Jr. Legacy Award during the 36th Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration Kickoff Program on Jan. 15. The bills are critically important after Republicans’ national assault on voting rights at the state level targets Democratic voters. Blunt, who is retiring after this term, could cast a vote that determines a positive fate of both bills. “I don’t know the rationale for giving him this award,” Walle Amusa, co-chair of The National Campaign for
BUSINESS
Empowering community with financial information
The first Inter-generational Wealth-Building and Empowerment Expo took place at Wohl Recreational Center Jan. 8, 2022.
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Human Dignity [NCHD], said. “I’m concerned with his record and his leadership role with [Senate Minority Leader] Mitch McConnell in blocking debate on bills that protect the fundamental voting rights for all Americans.” The award Blunt will receive carries the name of Henry Givens, Jr., the iconic, late former long-term president of Harris-Stowe State University. Dr. Givens passed away last July. This also is being done to the chagrin of Amusa and NCHD members. In a statement to The St. Louis American, the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. State Celebration Commission of Missouri said the late Givens nominated Blunt for the recognition.
n “I don’t know the rationale for giving him this award.” – Walle Amusa, co-chair of The National Campaign for Human Dignity [NCHD]
See BLUNT, A6
HEALTH
St. Louis Police Chief John Hayden will postpone his February retirement date as the search for his replacement continues. St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones’ administration confirmed this postponement Tuesday and noted the search for his replacement is still underway. While Jones does not have unilateral authority to restart the police chief search herself, she told The St. Louis American last week she wants to scrap the current search and start over after facing difficulties created by a former city leader, personnel department director Rick Frank. The Department of St. Louis Personnel and the St. Police Chief Louis Civil Service John Hayden Commission are in charge of determining final candidates for the position, and Dan Isom, the city’s director of public safety, would then choose a candidate from that pool. “I only had two white male candidates to choose from, and St. Louis is more diverse than white males. Our police department is more diverse—there were a lot of diverse candidates within the police department who were kicked out of the first round, so I want to start over to find the right candidate,” Jones said last week. Sources in Jones’ administration told The St. Louis American in December the personnel department rejected the majority of 30 people nationwide who applied for the position and administered a written test to
See HAYDEN, A6
SPORTS
A couple infected with COVID
Prime football prospect picks Jackson State
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Tony Yancy credits his and Sherrell’s vaccinations as the reason their symptoms weren’t that severe.
Kevin Coleman made his announcement during the nationally televised Army AllAmerican Bowl on Jan. 10, 2022.