Mourners Protest Police Shooting
About 300 mourners gathered in protest outside the Miami police station after attending the funeral for an unarmed carjacking suspect. Antonio Butler, 19, was the fourth suspect killed by the same policeman, Sgt. Juan Mendez, who joined the force in 1984. Protesters urged that he be charged. “This was cold-blooded murder hiding behind a badge,” Bishop Victor Curry of the New Birth Baptist Church said at the funeral. Butler was shot Sept. 20 as he climbed over a fence with police in pursuit. Mendez said he thought Butler was reaching for a gun. The officer’s other three shootings were investigated by internal affairs and ruled justified. The latest shooting, too, is under investigation.
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