Ralph Yarl: Man charged with shooting boy who knocked wrong door
Ralph Yarl, 16, is a “fantastic kid” who plays bass clarinet, his aunt said
A householder in the US state of Missouri has been charged with shooting a teenager who rang the wrong doorbell while picking up his younger brothers.
Andrew Lester, 85, has been charged with first-degree assault and armed criminal action, prosecutors announced.
Mr Lester, who is white, allegedly shot Ralph Yarl, 16, who is black, once in the head and once in the arm in last Thursday’s incident. The boy survived.
A prosecutor said there was a “racial component” to the shooting.
A warrant has been issued for Mr Lester’s arrest. It was not immediately clear if he had been taken into custody.
At a press conference on Monday, Clay County Prosecutor Zachary Thompson declined to elaborate further on the alleged “racial component” to the shooting.
“My message to the community is that, in Clay County, we enforce the laws and we follow the laws,” said Mr Thompson. “That doesn’t matter where you come from, what you look like or how much money you have.”
Police initially questioned Mr Lester and let him go before announcing they would press two felony charges.
Protests erupted throughout the city and Ralph’s family has secured legal counsel from civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump.
“You can’t just shoot people without having justification when somebody comes knocking on your door – and knocking on your door is not justification,” said the personal injury lawyer.
Ralph’s family said the teen had been trying to pick up his younger brothers from a friend’s house when he accidentally knocked on Mr Lester’s door.
According to local reports, Mr Lester told police that he believed someone was breaking into his home and fired two shots through his door. A witness also told the local news station that he heard Ralph “screaming that he had been shot.”
On Monday, prosecutors said Missouri citizens have the right to use force if they “reasonably” fear that they are in danger. Mr Thompson declined to elaborate further on the specifics of this case.
During a protest Sunday, Ralph’s father demanded charges be filed against the man who shot his son. “If he goes free, the next black kid that’s going to ring that doorbell could get shot again,” he said.
Ralph was released from the hospital on Sunday and is at home recovering from his injuries, his father, Paul, told the Kansas City Star.
Source: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-65307047?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=KARANGA
