After hearing the commotion, Young ran outside with his pistol drawn. He was in civillian clothing, and so the officers did not recognize him, or so they said. Diaz was told to put his gun down, which he dutifully did, totally obeying the orders of the police. Apparently, Young did not realize that the 2 officers did not recognize him, and so did not put down his firearm. Because he did not put it down, his 2 colleagues fired on him. He was hit three times, once in the head, once in the chest, and once in the stomach.
Young was pronounced dead a few hours after admittance to the hospital.
Following his death, many people are searching for answers. Although they feel like they are making the right decision, they are claiming guilt where only innocence presides. Diaz is now being charged with felony murder, assault with a dangerous weapon, possession of a pistol without a license, and committing a crime of violence while armed. What amazes me is that all of these charges have not been pressed on the 2 police officers who actually DID commit the crime. Diaz didn't murder anyone.
Diaz was not even holding the gun at the time of Young's death. There is no controversy about who shot Young, it was the police officers.
And one of those police officers has an itchy trigger finger. Last fall on Westminster Street, a Latino man named Jose Nunez was shot in each leg by one of the same officers involved in Young's murder. The patrolman claimed he was "jumped from behind and pummled in the head before he shot Nunez who was unarmed." However, Nunez's girlfriend said that Nunez never attacked the officer, and that the officer pushed her onto the ground.
What kind of court would be so biased as to charge a man -not even holding a gun at the time- of a shooting? This blatant act of police supieriority sicken me. If anyone at all is to be charged with this murder, it should be the two police officers, not a man who obeyed police orders and dropped his weapon before the shooting.
~*~Kate
