An East Pittsburgh police officer, Michael Rosfeld, fatally shot 17-year-old unarmed black teen Antwon Rose on Tuesday.
According to Huffington Post, Rose was shot three times in the back as he ran from a vehicle that was pulled over by police that evening. Police stopped the car in investigation of an earlier drive-by shooting. A partial video of the attack was also taken. USA Today reports that authorities found Rose was unarmed but two semi-automatic handguns were inside the same vehicle.
According to CNN, Pennsylvania law allows officers to use deadly force against a fleeing suspect in only certain situations. Its allowed if the suspect poses a threat of immediate danger, has used or threatened lethal violence previously or possesses a lethal weapon.
Civil rights attorney S. Lee Merritt representing the Rose family, said that there was no evidence that showed that the teenager was part of any crime before the shooting. Thus, the Allegheny ruled his death a homicide, Huffington Post reports.
“I see mothers bury their sons. I want my mom to never feel that pain.”
Antwon Rose wrote those lines two years ago in a poem for his 10th grade honors English class. It was entitled, “I am not what you think”. According to CNN, the family released the poem on Thursday throughout the Woodland Hills School District. The teenager wrote about being “confused and afraid” about where life would take. “I understand people believe I’m just a statistic. I say to them I’m different,” Antwon wrote.
Here’s the full text, sent by Woodland Hills assistant superintent Licia Lentz, with the message: “Poem Antwon wrote in 10th grade honors English, his mom, Michelle Kenny wants the world to read this.” pic.twitter.com/2jlQw1O1rI
— Megan Guza (@meganguzaTrib) June 21, 2018
Now, in a few days, his mother will have to bury him.
The Rose’s mother read the poem out loud at a rally in front of the Allegheny County Courthouse, and people came to show support for the Rose family there on Thursday. Now, the fatal shooting has sparked a mass protest calling justice for Antwon Rose.
Nearly 1,000 protesters demonstrated for hours on the highway outside of the city. Protesters marched on Interstate 376 carrying signs that read “No justice, no peace, no racist police” and “Justice For Antwon”, according to USA Today. People were also calling for the cops arrest.
Traffic was stopped in both directions on 376 as a a group of demonstrators blocked traffic protesting the death of #AntwonRose @TribLIVE pic.twitter.com/ApXSNY1CJd
— Nate Smallwood (@nsmallwoodphoto) June 22, 2018
“I’m thinking that the cops should be held accountable,” Rose’s aunt told CBS Pittsburgh. “I’m thinking that Antwon should be here. I’m thinking we should not be having this rally because he should be here, he should not have been killed.”
At the moment, Rosfeld, the police officer who fired the shots, is on temporary suspension while the investigation continues. Antwon Rose’s funeral will be held on Wednesday.