The mother of a black grocer from Alabama who was allegedly shot by a white police officer wants the officer to attend her son's funeral.
According to a report by the Daily Mail, Nellie Ruth Gunn, the mother of the victim Gregory Gunn, issued the invitation to police officer Aaron Smith, who has been arrested for the murder with a $150,000 bond.
When asked why she wanted the officer to attend Gunn's funeral, the woman only replied: "'All I want is justice."
The rest of Gunn's family was not so forgiving and believe that the reason the officer shot Gunn was not because he was acting suspiciously in a "high crime" area. Gunn's brother Kenneth maintained that his brother was approached by the police officer not because he was doing anything wrong but because of his skin color.
"He was black at three in the morning," he said.
While details of the actual events are still being investigated, initial reports indicate that the police officer approached Gunn in the early hours of Thursday near his home because he was carrying a stick.
In a report by Yahoo, Defense lawyer Mickey McDermott cited that Smith's actions were justified as the situation called for the use of deadly force, citing the officer's attempt to use non-lethal force, including using his Taser and baton, to subdue Gunn. The lawyer said that Gunn picked up a weapon and his client had to use deadly force "as he was trained."
However, the opposing counsel is not convinced, questioning why Gunn was shot five times and found in a position that seemed as if he was trying to protect himself.
While McDermott refused to go into details, he said that the defense would request a preliminary hearing in which all the evidence will be presented for the determination of the court.
Amid calls to release body and patrol camera footage that may shed light on the truth, city officials said their hands are tied as the State Bureau of Investigations is handling the case.
