“I’m outraged!” “It’s really sad!” “It’s a tragedy!”
Those are just some of the thoughts expressed by Birmingham neighborhood leaders and residents who recently spoke to the Birmingham Times about and offered suggestions to help curb the recent gun violence that has plagued the city.
On Wednesday, a victim was found dead at an east Birmingham apartment complex, the city’s 39th homicide of 2021; three of those homicides were ruled justifiable as self-defense by investigators or prosecutors. Even though the city has recorded one less homicide through May 12 of this year than at this time in 2020 the deaths are adding up and residents are not pleased.
“There are real issues in America right now . where unarmed Black men have been shot by white officers,’’ Woodfin said. “This is not one of those instances and this is not the case.”
The Birmingham Times
After an officer-involved shooting death of a 28-year-old Black man on Easter Sunday and calls from Black Lives Matter Birmingham to step down, Mayor Randall Woodfin said he will not resign.Â
Last month, Desmon Ray Jr. was killed by Birmingham Police on Easter Sunday when responding to a domestic dispute call in the 200 block of Ninth Avenue West.Â
On Monday, Black Lives Matter Birmingham called for the resignations of Woodfin and Police Chief Patrick Smith, stating their handling of the police killing of Ray is âunacceptable.âÂ
During a virtual news conference on Tuesday, Woodfin said pointedly: âI want to make this point very clear, I will not be resigning.âÂ
From The Tribune staff reports
FAIRFIELD The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA) announced on Monday it is investigating an officer-involved shooting that happened in Fairfield on Thursday, April 22, 2021.
Special Agents with ALEA said the Birmingham Police Department requested the investigation after the shooting of Allen Dwight Robertson. Robertson had non-life-threatening injuries.
ALEA said officers with Birmingham PD were executing a narcotics search warrant when there was an exchange of gunfire. No officers were hurt.
Robertson is charged with two counts of attempted murder, unlawful possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Once the investigation by ALEA is complete, findings will be turned over to the Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office’s Bessemer Division.
Former Classmate Charged in 1995 Murder of Mary Catherine Edwards
A former classmate has been charged in the 26-year-old case of Mary Catherine Edwards, who was raped and murdered in 1995.
Edwards was a teacher who lived alone in Beaumont, Texas. She was last seen on the evening of Jan. 13, 1995. Her parents discovered her body in the bathroom after going to her house to check on her when she didn’t respond to phone calls.
Authorities determined she had been sexually assaulted and killed.
A spokesperson from the Beaumont Police Department confirmed to Beaumont Enterprise that the suspect was arrested in Ohio. Court documents obtained by KFDM-TV identified the suspect as 61-year-old Clayton Bernard Foreman who currently lives in Franklin County, Ohio.