Merritt Landry, 33, is free on bail after shooting an unarmed black teenager in the head. According to reports by The Times-Picayune , Landry spotted 14-year-old Marshall Coulter in his yard at around 2 a.m. on July 26.
The teen jumped a gate to get into the yard and stood close to Landry’s car. Without warning, Landry shot the teen in the head. However, New Orleans police said that Coulter was unarmed and did not pose an “imminent threat” to Landry. Police arrested Landry and charged him with second degree attempted murder. The charge will increase if Landry dies from the gunshot wound.
Coulter’s family said the teen can only move his left side. If he survives, doctors believe that he would have permanent brain damage.
An employee for the City of New Orleans, Landry has been suspended from his job without pay.
Coulter’s mother said her son Marshall began to get into trouble after his father passed from stomach cancer three years ago. The teen has faced charges for theft in the past, but his family suggested that he would never use a gun or harm anyone.
The racial components may lead some to draw comparisons to the Travyon Martin incident, but there are blatant differences between both cases.
Landry was given a $100,000 bond and was released from prison after making bail.
