And a couple hours after those fatal gunshots on Faber's Road residents in the George and West Street areas were kept awake by the sound of sustained gunfire in their neighborhood. There were no documented injuries but there were some close calls. A couple of the bullets landed literally on Michelle Williams' doorsteps on George Street. 7NEWS was on the scene last night and Williams spoke to us not about the gunshots but about what followed. She told us that after coming under fire from the unknown gunmen, insult was added to injury by police officers who stormed into their yard leaving a trail of destruction.
Michelle Williams, George Street Resident
"When they came into the yard my house was locked up and I was peeping through my window. Then they went to my brother in law's house and he didn't want to open the door so it looks like they stomped open the door and brought him out, beat him up, and take him out. Then the cycle that was parked down there they pushed it down and broke the rear view mirror, and then they broke down the gate. The last time they came they sprayed pepper spray through my window because I didn't to open it and me and my baby were in there suffering; we had to put rags on our nose and everything."
Keith Swift,
Most people at home would say police are not crazy, they wouldn't target you for nothing.
Michelle Williams,
"Yeah its for nothing. They believed all the shots that were fired that George Street man did it. All kinds of things are happening, policeman are dying, and they aren't finding who are the killers."
Keith Swift,
They also messed up your heater?
Jinnelle Williams, George Street Resident
"They went to the back there and just break up the heater. They went back there, so many of them, and they just kicked the things; I don't know why they have to do that."
Keith Swift,
Was it in their way?
Jinnelle Williams,
"They didn't need to go back there, that is behind the house. They could have come and they would have seen the alley. They intentionally did that."
Keith Swift,
Why are the police picking on you guys?
Jinnelle Williams,
"They say they don't like the George Street boys and its about time them and the George Street boys have a shootout, I don't know why."
Keith Swift,
You feel you are being picked on?
Jinnelle Williams,
"I feel so because they don't like anyone from around here, from the time they said it is about time them and the George Street boys have a shootout means they really have a problem with the George Street boys, they don't like them."
A block away on West Street we found residents who were equally furious at the police who, again, after the shooting resounded through their neighborhood stormed in looking for suspects. We don't know if they found any but they did again leave behind an angry neighborhood.
West Street Resident #1,
"Children are in the yard and they come cranking guns. Shots were being fired way on the other side of town. Because one young lady was around here, they ordered to us get in our yards. We told them to come put us in because we are already in our yard. Everybody who is here lives around here and now they come cranking gun, kicking down fences, and forcing themselves in people's houses without any just cause."
West Street Resident #2,
"They came to harass my mother who is 82 years old and my mom has pressure. They came to harass my mother's house, because it is her house upstairs, the young lady isn't around at all. Then they called for back up and all of them came, you see how many vehicles are out like 6 or 7 with about 25 policemen. Gunshots were being fired in another area, not my area."
Police today had no comment on the allegations of excessive and unwarranted force by the George and West Streets residents.
