Murder Of Black Man By White Neighbour Ruled As Justifiable Homicide

The death of Justin King, a black man who was fatally shot on November 3, 2021, in Missouri, United States, has been ruled as a justifiable homicide on Tuesday.

This ruling came two months after the death of 28-year-old King, who was shot dead by his neighbour in a trailer park community in Bourbon, Missouri.

The panel concluded that the shooting was justified after residents were presented with evidence from witnesses to help determine the manner of death.

The Crawford County Sheriff’s Office had initially said King was shot after forcefully entering a neighbouring residence where a homeowner feared for his life.

King's family and their lawyer argued that King was shot outside the neighbour’s home and had not entered into it.

The lawyer, Nimrod Chapel in reaction to the court's inquest stated that; "The family is distraught, as they ended up seeing their son being vilified."

"They do not accept the findings of the coroner's jury and how that finding was found and has been articulated."

"And the neighbour involved in the shooting was not present at the inquest."

"It's a terrible reality that we have here in Missouri. There's a reluctance to hold assailants accountable when the victims are black."

Chapel added that he and the family will continue to look for ways to get justice.

King’s father, John King, said;

"Several neighbours said they heard gunshots and saw King lying on the ground outside the neighbour’s trailer.

“The only person that says it’s a home invasion is the guy that shot my son. And all the neighbours protested saying, no, he shot him in cold blood outside.

"My son was the only Black person in the trailer community and it is believed that the shooting was an act of racially motivated hate.”

According to Missouri’s Castle Doctrine Law, people are allowed to use deadly force against intruders without the duty to retreat, based on the notion that their home is their castle.