[INDEX |
NATIONAL
|
WORLD
|
PERSPECTIVE
|
COLUMNS
|
MONEY
|
ENTERTAINMENT
|
HEALTH
|
TECH
|
LETTERS
|
SUBSCRIBE]
FinalCall.com News
National News
FBI probes case of man killed by New Orleans cops
By Jesse Muhammad
Staff Writer
Updated Jan 30, 2009 - 9:14:00 AM
Adolph Grimes shot 12 times in the back
(FinalCall.com) - The New Year ended quickly for a 22-year-old man who was killed at the hands of the New Orleans police during a deadly shootout to mark the city’s first homicide.
According to the Orleans Parish coroner, the young Black man was hit 14 times with 12 shots to the back. The coroner also said it will be weeks before an official autopsy report is released.
The FBI is now probing to see whether the death of Adolph Grimes III was a victim of civil rights violations by police or a suspect killed in a justifiable shooting. Special Agent Sheila Thorne, an FBI spokeswoman, said agents from the New Orleans FBI office counseled with the U.S. Department of Justice in making the decision to look into the killing.
“The family is cooperating fully with the FBI and seeking justice,” said Attorney Robert Jenkins to The Final Call via phone on Jan. 9. He is representing the family.
Police accounts state that Mr. Grimes allegedly fired first, sparking counter shots from the officers. Coroner Frank Minyard findings raise questions about the incident. He announced that two bullets pierced Mr. Grime’s front torso while 12 other bullets tore through his back and legs. A total 48 rounds were fired at the victim.
“The family just viewed the body for the first time today so they are pretty distraught right now. The police shot him up real bad,” said Atty. Jenkins, who has also publicly questioned early aspects of the New Orleans Police Dept. investigation, such as their refusal to release the names of the officers involved in the shooting. The officers have since been reassigned.
The incident occurred on Jan. 1 around 3 a.m., just a few hours after Mr. Grimes had returned to the city from Houston. According to news reports, he was in a car outside his grandmother’s house waiting for another relative.
Police officers, who had been working undercover, not in uniform and riding in two unmarked cars, were reportedly looking for a suspect in a shooting reported a few streets away.
New Orleans Police Superintendent Warren Riley disputed the coroner’s account and said that Mr. Grimes shot first when an unmarked car full of plainclothes officers pulled up adjacent to his car.
Supt. Riley said the officers were in a group of three women acting as decoys and six men covering them when a shooting was reported at a nearby club. He said the officers saw a black car leaving the club’s vicinity and Mr. Grimes was in a black car parked about four blocks from the club.
“There is an increase of police shooting its citizens around the country, and these kinds of excessive shootings do nothing for the police and community relationship,” said Dennis Muhammad to The Final Call. “Chief Riley has a very difficult job to restore trust and respect for the police when he has to defend a police department that has a track record of controversial shootings—especially when the people of New Orleans don’t trust the police.”
Mr. Muhammad is the founder of ENOTA, which is a comprehensive program designed to enhance police community relations, specifically teaching youth how to have respect for themselves, people in authority, and the general community.
About two dozen people gathered outside of the 2nd District NOPD headquarters on Jan. 8 to condemn the killing of Mr. Grimes.
“We are going to keep fighting. This family is in serious pain after seeing that body. This is the first homicide of the year for this city. Sad,” said Atty. Jenkins.
