The Black Lives Matter Flint organization led a protest outside the Michigan State Police Flint Post over the deadly Nov. 2 trooper-involved shooting of 17-year-old Rayvon Shahid.
FLINT TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WJRT) – The Black Lives Matter Flint organization issued a call to action Thursday after a teen was killed in an officer-involved shooting earlier this month.
Family, friends and neighbors all gathered for 17-year-old Rayvon Shahid at the Michigan State Police Flint Post on Corunna Road in Flint Township. They were calling for justice with the teen’s shooting.
On Nov. 2, Michigan State Police say troopers encountered Shahid, who was armed, on Essex Street near Pasadena Avenue. Troopers say the teen ran away from them and they deployed a Taser on Shahid, which failed.
Police say they issued at least seven commands for Shahid to drop his gun. The troopers opened fire and Shahid was pronounced dead of gunshot wounds.
Michigan State Police say they recovered a pistol on scene.
Friends and family of Shahid say he was not armed. Now they want the troopers involved in the shooting to be held responsible for Shahid’s death.
“Our community is in shock right now and our point for being here at the Michigan State Flint Post is to hold them accountable,” said Dewaun Robinson, who is president of Black Lives Matter Flint. “We just want something done and we don’t got time to play.”
The organization is planning more protests at Flint City Hall on Friday and near the intersection of Pasadena Avenue and Martin Luther King Boulevard on Saturday. Both protests are scheduled to begin at 4 p.m.
“It shows that this community is with this family,” said attorney Arnold Reed, who is representing Shahid’s family. “They understand this could have been their child. This could have been their nephew. You see the community coming together wanting to hold their leadership accountable.”
Michigan State Police say they wrapped up their investigation this week and forwarded all evidence, including body camera video, to the Michigan Attorney General’s Office.
Prosecutors in the attorney general’s office will decide whether the troopers face any criminal charges for their actions. A timeline for that decision was not immediately available Friday.