‘Y’all have everybody scared’: Family of man killed in Omaha Police shooting speaks out
OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) - Family of Steven Phipps Jr. — the man killed by Omaha Police during a foot pursuit over the weekend — have spoken out.
Two members of North Omaha’s church community sat watching Wednesday’s OPD news conference as it happened, paying close attention and taking notes. Their initial reaction best described as disappointed.
“Mayor Stothert saying that the citizens are safe, evidently African-American Black men are not safe in Omaha,” said Pastor Portia Cavitt, the President of the Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance. “We know that people have a right to own guns. Why is it when a Black man has a gun that the officer fears for his life?”
OPD NEWS CONFERENCE
Omaha Police chief defends officer’s use of force seen in video of fatal shooting
"I cannot — and will never — diminish an officer’s ability to protect themselves. It is a dangerous job with a lot of variables.”
Rev. Juliet Hemphill of Bethel A.M.E. Church echoed the same sentiment.
“Why did they have to shoot him eight times?” Rev. Hemphill said. “I don’t understand that.”
Later, the two church leaders were joined by other members of the North Omaha community, including Phipps’ family.
“They know they harassed him and they know what they did,” said family member Jenesha Plunkett. “All we want is justice for him. Y’all can’t keep running around doing this to our young boys. Y’all have everybody sacred. It makes no sense in the world. He didn’t deserve it.”
The family says Steven was targeted by police and that he was afraid — a fear that others say is contagious in North Omaha.
“There’s a great sadness in our community, especially among Black males who are currently in fear for their lives,” said Leo Louis, an Omaha resident. “Often times, we talk about how officers are in fear for their lives, but we don’t speak about the facts that everyday, average people are currently afraid of an interaction with the police.”
It’s a shame that there’s a mother and a family grieving today,” said Pastor T. Michael Williams, the President of the Omaha NAACP. “In my opinion, it was unnecessary. In my opinion, the young man did not need to be shot.”
Many in the community have witnessed similar scenes over the years, just like the one that unfolded near 31st and Taylor Street a few days ago, when a Black man was shot by police.
‘Things just have to change, because it appears that Black lives have no value,” said Alvin McCruel with the Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance.
Cavitt says there si work to be done to make things right between police and Omaha’s Black community in the wake of two Black men being killed by police within a month.
“We need to look at the police procedures and the policies that they have,” Cavitt said. “Yes, we have a gun problem, but that is not the African-American community’s problem, that’s a national problem. But in Omaha, we have a police-involved shooting problem.”
Cavitt says they are hosting a town hall meeting at Clair Memorial United Methodist Church at 4 p.m. Sunday to allow the community to share their feeling and concerns about police shootings.
—
Get the latest breaking news delivered to your inbox. Sign up for 6 News email alerts.
Copyright 2024 WOWT. All rights reserved.
