Update on the Javon Maurice Dawson case.
Family says teen shot by officer didn't have a gun
Monday, June 9, 2008
There seems to be conflicting details about what happened in St. Petersburg. According to the police Javon Dawson refused to drop his weapon before an officer killed him.
Dawson’s friends and family are saying Dawson never had a gun.
There was a protest outside of the St. Petersburg Police Department on Monday. About 40 members of the black community attended the protest.
Dawson’s father is demanding answers from the Police Department.
According to the media his father said "I just want justice for my son," said David Dawson, "I know he was murdered. It was straight murder; they shot him twice in the back."
Police did release some details of the shooting.
Police reported that Dawson was shot once in the right shoulder and once in the left kidney. The police went on to say that “it was an angle shot”. Meaning Dawson was turned at an angle to the officer when the first shot was fired.
Police said Dawson was shot once in the right shoulder, and once in the left kidney.
The police also said Dawson was firing a gun in the street and then pointed it at officer Terrance Nemeth who verbally commanded him to drop the weapon.
"The preliminary investigation shows that the man was armed with a Smith and Wesson .38-caliber weapon," Proffitt said. "There were three spent cartridges in the weapon indicating it had been fired three times."
But Dawson's brother who was at the party insists his brother didn't have a gun, and they were both running because someone else was firing.
"There was too many people out there with guns, and my brother did not have one of them," said Keon Dawson, Javon's brother.
With police and family accounts not matching up, the department is hoping witnesses will come forward with what they saw.
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