Michele Minor refuses to give up on what she calls “getting justice for her son” Michael Minor, who was shot and killed by a Prince George’s County Sheriff’s Deputy in Oct. 23, 2014 despite being unarmed.
Michael Minor was allegedly shot and killed by a Prince George’s County sheriff’s deputy in 2014. (Courtesy photo)
A Greenbelt Federal Judge issued a summary judgment in favor of Prince George’s County on Feb. 15, stopping the case from ever being heard by a jury. Attorney’s for the Minor family says they plan an appeal to the Fourth Circuit in Richmond, Va., but it’s a “Hail Mary,” according to Minor attorney Mark Howes who teamed up with civil rights attorney Greg Lattimer to try the case.
“I am stressed, depressed and hurt,” Minor said. She initially garnered the support of a wide range of civil rights leaders, but she has been hamstrung in bringing public attention to her son’s case because the officer who shot Minor was Black, like her son.
“That was a big hurdle to overcome,” Howes said. “It didn’t leave us much to argue with. The fact that the officer involved was African American didn’t allow us to bring in discrimination. That is what set this apart from Trayvon Martin and other police involved shootings that have received public attention.”
The basic facts of the case were undisputed although until recently it was not known that Michael, who had been drinking and wearing an ankle bracelet and according to court papers, threatened to retrieve a firearm from the attic before leaving the house. No one saw him get a gun, but his estranged girlfriend Beverly Lewis and her son, told 911 operators of that fact when calling in the incident. When police arrived on the scene, Michael was told to show his hands and when he didn’t comply, he was shot and killed by the deptuy Kendal Wade.
The Judge said that while Minor’s death was “tragic” he ruled that case law supported the officers who had a reasonable expectation that Michael might have been armed and dangerous.
Even so, Minor said she will continue to fight for her son inside and outside the courtroom. She is currently working on holding a rally in support of justice for him along with continuing to pursue the case through the legal system. “It shouldn’t have mattered whether the officer was Black or White,” Minor said. “My son was shot and killed and he was unarmed. When is it okay to shoot and kill unarmed citizens?”