On Monday, Clay County Prosecuting Attorney Zachary Thompson charged an 84-year-old white Northland man with two felonies in the shooting of a Black 16-year-old.
Man Charged with Two Felonies
Authorities charged Lester with two felonies, including first-degree assault and armed criminal activity. Furthermore, they suspect that Lester shot Ralph Yarl twice late Thursday night after Yarl mistakenly knocked on his front door. According to Thompson, the assault charge is a class A felony. Besides that, Lester faces a minimum of 10 years in jail and a maximum of 30 years or life in prison if convicted. “As with any serious case, we approached this one in an objective and impartial manner,” Thompson said. “We are looking forward to a fair outcome.”
What Exactly Happened?
Despite popular demand, Thompson stated that he will not file hate crime charges because hate crime charges in Missouri have a smaller range of punishments than the two felonies. However, Yarl mistakenly went to the wrong house on 115th Terrace, where he was meant to meet his twin brothers. Lester shot Yarl once in the head and again after he collapsed, according to the family. Police claimed they questioned the shooter and detained him for 24 hours before releasing him.
People Call Him a Decent Military Man
Graffiti was sprayed on Lester’s residence on Monday. The yellow home with green shutters has a fenced-in yard and a notice saying; “This property is protected by surveillance cameras.” Neighbors described him as a kind old man who had served in the military. James Everhart, who lives three doors down from the house where the shooting occurred; believes race did not play a part in the incident. “There ain’t no race in this story,” Everhart declared. “The ostensibly-hateful protesters only serve to divide people.”
The man was terrified. “He just shot someone!” Thompson stated that there “was a racial component to the case.” Thompson acknowledged that many individuals were irritated by the amount of time it took to bring charges; but he maintained that the criminal justice system was functioning properly. “My heart goes out to the child and family involved in this case,” said Thompson. “My goal throughout this process has been and will continue to be to seek justice for him.” Yarl’s situation drew national attention and quickly went viral on social media.
Why Did the Child Get Shot?
“Let’s be clear: No child should ever have to live in fear of being shot for ringing the wrong doorbell,” Harris said on Twitter. “Every child has the right to be safe.” That is the America for which we are fighting.” Other groups harshly criticized the case’s treatment. Moreover, the Midwest Conference of the African Methodist Episcopal Church Ministerial Alliance; included several well-known deaths of Black youngsters.
In a statement, the organization asked; “At what point do we admit that the color of fear is always black?” “In these moments; we remember Emmett Till as a young boy.” Trayvon Martin was a little boy. Tamir Rice was a little boy.” By Monday afternoon, a GoFundMe campaign; in favor of Ralph Yarl had garnered more than $1.8 million. On Sunday; his aunt Faith Spoonmore launched a campaign to cover medical fees and treatment costs.
Read Also: Ralph Yarl Released From Hospital, Recovering at Home
