‘No Crime Day’ Marred by Killing of Policeman Mistaken for Burglar

A police officer was killed by a resident who told authorities he thought he was shooting at a burglar Saturday on “No Crime Day,” a campaign to focus on the fight against Detroit’s rising crime rate.

Officer Everett Williams Jr., 33, was shot once in the chest while responding with his partner to a report of a burglary at a home on the city’s West Side--less than an hour before a No Crime Day parade began.

12 Years on Force

Williams, a veteran of 12 years on the force, was pronounced dead at Henry Ford Hospital.

Police said that Riley Jones, 53, fired a handgun through his front door at the two officers. Jones apparently fired a shot earlier at a would-be burglar and shot at the officers when he heard footsteps.

Police said Jones would be held while authorities decide whether to charge him.

The shooting marred No Crime Day, in which organizers urged criminals to take a day off and residents to take to the streets to show their solidarity against crime.

Detroit Mayor Coleman Young said the killing “re-emphasizes the need of all citizens to take some action to call this insanity to a halt.”

Sports Stars Attend

The anti-crime rally drew several thousand people, including Isiah Thomas, the Detroit Pistons basketball player who organized the event, Los Angeles Lakers basketball star Earvin (Magic) Johnson and boxer Thomas Hearns.

Thomas said the high rate of fatal shootings, especially among young people, inspired him to get involved in No Crime Day, patterned after a similar event in Chicago.

At the rally, marchers carried signs, balloons and banners and wore T-shirts with anti-crime slogans. The Mackenzie High School band played “Things Can Only Get Better.”