Vigil held for 16-year-old shot dead by Henry County police in Stockbridge, Georgia
Family and friends of Tyrie Howse are demanding justice after a Henry County officer fatally shot the teen during a foot chase in Stockbridge. The GBI is leading the investigation.
Friends and family demand answers after police shooting of teen in Stockbridge
Friends and family of 16-year-old Tyrie Howse gathered Saturday night in a parking lot off Highway 138 in Stockbridge, Georgia, calling for justice after a Henry County police officer shot and killed the teenager earlier in the week, fox5atlanta.com reports.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) is leading the investigation into the fatal shooting, which took place on Tuesday night. According to GBI, an officer approached Howse and a 17-year-old friend in the parking lot of a Krispy Kreme restaurant on Highway 138. The officer told the older teenager to remove his hands from his pockets, and that teen then handed a gun to Howse, who ran.
The officer pursued Howse on foot and ordered him to drop the handgun. Investigators said Howse did not comply, and the officer opened fire. A gun was recovered at the scene, according to GBI's report issued Wednesday.
The Henry County Police Department has not released the name of the officer who fired the fatal shot. Authorities have also not explained why the officer initially approached the two teenagers, nor whether officers were responding to a call or initiated the contact on their own.
At Saturday's vigil, those who attended released red balloons — Howse's favourite colour — as friends and loved ones remembered the teenager by his constant smile.
Quinn Barnes, a longtime family friend, questioned the circumstances of the encounter. "Why did you put that innocent young child in harm's way?" Barnes said. "He was walking from the job he just started. He wasn't even able to see his first paycheck. So we want to know why did the police bother him?"
Hours before he was killed, Howse had been with his girlfriend, Jazaryah Reynolds. "He was just so happy and so full of it," Reynolds said. "He was just a sweet person. We will like get justice for him."
Classmate Elaun Clark described Howse as a dedicated student who helped peers prepare for tests. "It's hard because we're only 16 years old," Clark said. "We got so much life ahead of us, and the fact that my friend's life was taken, will never be okay."
Barnes added that Howse was always ready to lend a hand. "She's crying because her son was gunned down by an officer," Barnes said. "It hurts. You're supposed to protect us."
Friends said Howse was enrolled in a nursing class and regularly wore medical scrubs to school. He was known for his care of young children, particularly his sister's newborn, and had hoped to one day work as a paediatric nurse.
The GBI will submit its complete findings to prosecutors once the investigation concludes. Family members said they intend to continue pushing for accountability as a roadside memorial on Highway 138 continues to grow.
Source: Google News MT — Crime (en)