Radazz Hearn, the 14-year-old Black teen shot by police seven times while fleeing will be charged according to police. Law enforcement officials have stated that Hearns pointed a gun at police while running with two of his friends. One of the friends stated to police that Hearns did in fact have a gun, which was recovered at the scene 12 hours later by police.
Stuart Alterman, who represents the Mercer County Sheriff’s officer involved in the shooting stated, “The witness statements are pretty well-founded, including from individuals whom the teenager was with.”
Now Hearns faces charges of aggravated assault, unlawful possession of a handgun, and possession of a defaced firearm. However, some in the community are skeptical of police claims that Hearns was armed. Community leader Rev. Lukata Mjumbe stated, “After 11 days, they had to charge someone. They either had to charge the officer for shooting this 14-year-old boy, or they had to charge the teen. They have decided to charge the boy, which is not surprising to us. That’s one of the reasons why we continue to say we need a different set of eyes on the facts of this case; it’s why we want the U.S. attorney to take over the investigation of this case. This information doesn’t provide any more clarity for me; it actually creates another set of questions.”
Hearns is still in the hospital recovering from his injuries, but is expected to be arrested after he is medically cleared.
