(People’s World) — Outrage over the death of an African-American security guard has sparked discussions around the perils of gun ownership. Twenty-six-year-old Jemel Roberson, an African American security guard, was attempting to diffuse an escalation at Manny’s Blue Room Bar during the early hours of November 11, 2018. A man who had been previously kicked out of the establishment returned to the scene and began openly firing in the crowded bar. Roberson was able to subdue the suspect and pin him down while the police were contacted. When authorities arrived at the scene one of the officers mistook Roberson for the shooter and gunned him down.
The Illinois Police Department released a statement on their Facebook page stating that the officer gave the “armed subject” multiple verbal commands to drop the gun before ultimately discharging his weapon. Official police reports also allege that there were no indications that Roberson was security, but multiple eyewitnesses at the scene told authorities that Roberson was not given a chance to respond because they immediately opened fire.
In the aftermath of the events, a federal lawsuit was filed by Roberson’s mother. “The shooting death of Jemel Roberson was unprovoked,” the suit states. “The shooting death of Jemel Roberson was unjustified. The shooting death of Jemel Roberson was excessive and unreasonable.”
