As we told you at the top of the newscast, a Chinese grocer was seriously injured a robbery attempt on George Street. Our team was on George Street just minutes earlier when residents called us out. Their complaint was an unjustified use of force by police who were trying to prevent retaliation following Saturday morning's murder of Alpheus Smith. Residents told us that police barged into their neighborhood when guns blazing this evening.
Paula Smith, George Street Resident
"Three truck just came like crazy people. Instead of asking to open the gate, no question was asked. The police men just hauled out guns, I don't really know their names. They hauled out the gun and just started to shoot up the gate. They asked no questions. The owner of the house was telling them to give her a break so she could open the gate. They gave no kind of response - just bullet, bullet, bullet."
Kimberly Flowers, George Street Resident
"My name is Kimberly Flores and it is my uncle they shot. He was fixing the car and they just came like they are simple. He didn't even get break to come out and hurry come into the house. If he came out I think he would have gotten shot because they were shooting all over the place and all up at this lady's house they were shooting and her little daughter was in there. We don't know why they did all of that because we were trying to plan the funeral to see what we will do from what we won't do and they came to do was tear down the house. Look what they did to the house, all kinds of things for no reason. They don't even have warrant, they just came like they are simple."
Keith Swift,
Did they tell you what they were looking for?
Kimberly Flowers,
"They just came shooting up the gate. They didn't even say what they
came for. They probably thought we were going to retaliate, like bust up shots back, but we are not into that. Right now we are trying to think about the funeral because we don't really have anything right."
Keith Swift,
Who are those people they took with them?
Kimberly Flowers,
"Those are Alpheus' friends, the George Street crew, those are his friends. All of us were here mourning about his death and so. Everyday those boys are here and everyday police come and harass them and we are tired of that because they come to harass us for no reason, no reason at all."
Michelle Williams, George Street Resident
"Like six vehicles came and ran through my alley. My little girl was upstairs and they bust up shots after the young men. They were sitting down good talking and I asked them for excuse because my daughter is up there and police cursed me and told me to get out the yard and that is my house and my little girl is up there. They don't have any PR and that is why people can't cooperate with them."
Keith Swift,
What did they say they were looking for?
Michelle Williams,
"They didn't come and say anything. Everybody just jumped out like some pigs, like it is killers around here. Where they should go, they didn't go. We are tired of them. Everyday they come around here with their, I don't want to cuss, but nobody will cooperate with them because they don't come like human beings, they come like dogs."
Paula Smith,
"We were planning the funeral, so we can't discuss about our people. All I think we should do is lay our dead friend right in the yard, everybody gets a knife and fork and eat him and I would some of them to come and eat too, come. A simple set of fools. We don't like these types of things because this is our death. As anything, the police come to George Street, they don't see nobody else: George Street is all the murderers and all the killers are at George Street. I have to talk because I was here, I saw what happened, I know what happened, and that is not fear at all."
Keith Swift,
Did they say what they were looking for?
Paula Smith,
"They didn't tell us anything. All they did was come like a set of crazy men. Crazy men came because only crazy people behave so. They hauled out their gun and they started to shoot hurry. I didn't like the idea."
