Days after Ralph Yarl, a Black teenager, was shot on the doorstep of a Kansas City home, his family’s attorneys slammed authorities’ move to release the suspect.
Yarl, 16, was sent to pick up his younger brothers on Thursday but accidentally knocked on the wrong door, his family said. The owner of the home responded by shooting Yarl in the head and then shooting him again on the ground, according to his aunt Faith Spoonmore.
Kansas City police detained the shooter for 24 hours, but did not immediately charge him with a crime.
“There is no excuse for the release of this armed and dangerous suspect after admitting to shooting an unarmed, non-threatening, and defenseless teenager that rang his doorbell,” Yarl family attorneys Ben Crump and Lee Merritt said Monday in a joint statement.
“We demand swift action from Clay County prosecutors and law enforcement to identify, arrest, and prosecute to the full extent of the law the man responsible for this horrendous and unjustifiable shooting.”
Under Missouri law, suspects can be held for 24 hours before they must either be charged with a crime or released. Cops did not bring charges against the homeowner, who has not been publicly identified.
Clay County prosecutor Zachary Thompson said Monday that his office was working with Kansas City police but still waiting for a criminal referral.
“We understand how frustrating this has been, but we can assure the public that the system is working,” Thompson said. “As with any serious case submitted to our office, we will approach this case in an objective and impartial manner. We ask the public to trust the system to achieve a just result.”
Yarl’s shooting led to outrage in Kansas City and across the country. Hundreds of protesters marched through the city over the weekend, forcing local leaders to hold a press conference Sunday.
“The information that we have now, it does not say that it’s racially motivated,” police chief Stacey Graves said. “But as a chief of police, I do recognize the racial components of this case. I do recognize and understand the community’s concern and the community’s response to this particular incident.”
Yarl’s family set up a GoFundMe to pay for medical expenses. After his story spread nationwide, the total topped $1.1 million by Monday afternoon.
“Even though he is doing well physically, he has a long road ahead mentally and emotionally,” Spoonmore wrote on the page. “The trauma that he has to endure and survive is unimaginable. He is our miracle. We have heard these types of stories many times, and unfortunately, most black boys are not alive to get another chance.”