Global Courant 2023-04-18 05:44:15
A white man in the United States has been charged with two counts of felony after allegedly shooting a 16-year-old black teenager who mistook his home for another.
Homeowner Andrew Lester, 85, is charged with aggravated assault and armed criminal action for the shooting, which left teenager Ralph Yarl hospitalized with injuries to his head and right arm.
Zachary Thompson, the District Attorney of Clay County, Missouri, explained in a news conference Monday that the charge of armed criminal action carries a sentence of up to 15 years, but misdemeanor “carries a range of sentences up to life in prison.” “. ”.
When asked why an attempted murder charge or a hate crime charge was not prosecuted, Thompson told reporters that the “A felony” was the “highest felony in the state of Missouri.”
“Other charges may not have the same level of punishment,” Thompson said.
He added: “I don’t want to litigate this case in the press. It has been my goal from the beginning to get justice for the child involved in the case. And I don’t want to jeopardize that by talking about the facts with the media.”
However, Thompson did say that “there is one racial component to the case”.
Lester’s bond was set at $200,000. A warrant for his arrest was issued on Monday.
NEWS WARNING: @lawyerCrump And @MerrittForTexas released a statement on a call with @POTUS and Ralph Yarl’s family that took place shortly before the district attorney announced charges against the man who shot him. pic.twitter.com/931PHLx6Da
— Ben Crump Law, PLLC (@BenCrumpLaw) April 17, 2023
In a statement released on social media afterwards, the legal team representing Yarl — civil rights attorneys Lee Merritt and Ben Crump — applauded the criminal charges but questioned the delay in filing them, citing the legal principle that ” justice delayed is equal to denial of justice”.
“We are relieved that the charges are finally going through, but we are disappointed at the delay necessitated by national outcry over an obvious crime. We are cautiously optimistic about accountability and fairness,” the lawyers wrote.
They also shared that US President Joe Biden personally called Yarl’s family with prayers for his recovery. The Democratic president has made U.S. gun law reform a prominent part of his platform.
Yarl’s April 13 shooting in Kansas City sparked national outrage after his family explained that the 16-year-old had been nearby to pick up his younger twin brothers. They claim that Yarl simply rang the wrong doorbell, which resulted in him being shot twice.
He didn’t have his phone with him. He accidentally went to the wrong house, a block away from where his siblings were,” his aunt Faith Spoonmore wrote on a GoFundMe page to raise money for his medical bills. “The man in the house opened the door, looked my cousin in the eye and shot him in the head.”
Yarl has since been released from the hospital and is recovering, his family told the Kansas City Star. “He continues to improve. He reacts quickly and is making good progress,” his father Paul told the newspaper.
His name is #RalphYarl and I’m tired of this feeling… my heart completely broke when I heard that this precious 16 year old, who accidentally rang the wrong door in an attempt to pick up his siblings, had been shot in the head… (1/3) pic.twitter.com/4VaZo7EFVE
— Halle Berry (@halleberry) April 17, 2023
Yarl’s shooting sparked widespread demonstrations in Kansas City, with protesters showing up outside the home where the high school student was shot.
Politicians and celebrities, from singer Justin Timberlake to Oscar-winning actor Halle Berry, also took to social media to push for criminal charges against Lester.
“Doug and I are praying for Ralph Yarl and his family as he fights for his life,” Vice President Kamala Harris wrote on Twitter. “Let’s be clear: no child should ever be afraid of being shot for knocking on the wrong door.”
Gabrielle Giffords, a former United States Representative and now gun reform advocate, also expressed her frustration on social media.
“As someone who is still recovering from a gunshot to the head, I am heartbroken and furious that Ralph Yarl is now facing a lifelong recovery. At age 16. For simply ringing the doorbell,” she wrote. “We cannot remain a nation defined by gun violence and injustice.”
As someone who is still recovering from a gunshot to the head, I am heartbroken and furious that Ralph Yarl is now facing a lifelong recovery.
At age 16. To just call.
We cannot remain a nation defined by gun violence and injustice. pic.twitter.com/DQq063yRLz
— Gabrielle Giffords (@GabbyGiffords) April 17, 2023
Some of the criticism was aimed at local prosecutors and law enforcement, who had previously taken Lester into custody before releasing him pending further investigation. Critics questioned why it had taken days to press charges and make a formal arrest.
“There were things that had to be done to build[the case]on a solid foundation,” District Attorney Thompson told the press Monday. “That means you are trying to get a formal statement from the witness in the case. That means waiting for the results of the forensic laboratory to be processed.”
Ralph Yarl, a high school senior, hopes to attend Texas A&M University after graduation (Lee Merritt/Reuters)
Merritt, one of the lawyers representing Yarl, rejected that rationale in a statement Monday. “I can say with absolute certainty that the apologies offered are not true,” he wrote.
As of Monday, more than $2 million had been raised for Yarl on the GoFundMe page. His aunt explained that the extra money would help Yarl’s family pay for therapy, future school fees and a trip to West Africa for the teen.
She described Yarl as an outstanding bass clarinetist who hoped to attend Texas A&M University to study chemical engineering.
A majority of US states, including Missouri, have a so-called “stand your ground” law, which allows a person to use physical force “when he or she reasonably believes that such force is necessary to defend himself” against an “imminent threat.” attack”. ” Danger.
Such laws contain no “duty to withdraw”. They have therefore been criticized as justifying excessive force, with some opponents calling them “shoot first” laws.
But even in states with “stand your ground” laws, individuals must still prove they felt a “reasonable” need to protect themselves or a third party from death or bodily harm.
