The family of a man shot and killed by police last year marched to the Chester County Courthouse and demanded justice by filing a wrongful death and civil rights lawsuit.
Chester police shot and killed Ariane McCree outside the Walmart on J.A. Cochran Bypass on November 23, 2019. Police said he pulled a gun after they arrested him for shoplifting, but members of the National Action Network and his family question how he could have had a gun if he were in custody and in handcuffs.
Lawyers for McCree’s family said he was in handcuffs at the time of the shooting and posed “zero risk of harm to anyone.” They said officers riddled at least one parked car with eight bullets and fatally hit McCree. McLeod Law Group, which represents McCree’s family, said the officers involved were doing security work at Walmart.
Attorney Colin Ram argued there was no excuse for Walmart to not have procedures in place to protect shoppers. McCree was described as a loving father to his 3-year-old son and as a well-known and respected citizen.
Attorney Mullins McLeod, along with McCree’s family and friends said filing the wrongful death and civil rights lawsuit on Monday was the first step towards justice.