NAACP: Officers did not act justly in Walmart shooting

The Dayton unit of the NAACP held a news conference today and called for an investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice on the Beavercreek Walmart shooting.

A special grand jury returned a no indictment against the officers involved in the fatal shooting of John Crawford III inside the Beavercreek Walmart.

Derrick Foward, president of the Dayton Unit NAACP said there is no way it can be understood that the officers acted justly. The NAACP and the family of Crawford are calling for an investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice.

Lori Coleman, criminal justice chair with the NAACP, said it was not an active shooter type of situation. Coleman, who was formerly in law enforcement, said it appears Crawford was ambushed and gunned down by the police officers. She said he did not pose a threat, and it was not a justified shooting.

"They killed that boy because they know that it's open season on African-American men across this country by police departments," said Bishop Richard Cox, president of the Dayton chapter of SCLC and national SCLC board member. "They went in there with the wrong information. He didn't bring a gun into Walmart. He walked into Walmart shopping. They said something that was not true and then they shot this boy down. Mike DeWine needs to resign as Attorney General. He messed this case up from the very beginning."

Cox said the SCLC is going to join the NAACP and mobilize as a result of the grand jury's decision.

"We are not going to continue to let you kill a black man in our city, near our city, around our city and think you can get away with it. Not going to happen," Cox said.

Just after 2 p.m. Wednesday, U.S. Attorney Carter Stewart of the Southern District of Ohio said the Justice Department will review the shooting of John Crawford III.

The Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice and the FBI's Cincinnati office will join in conducting the independent review of the facts and circumstances surrounding the August 5, 2014 fatal shooting.

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