Community calls for investment in Dayton youth after fatal shooting of student
DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) — Community groups held a press conference Friday — calling for more investment in youth safety after the death of a Dayton Dunbar student in downtown weeks ago.
Racial Justice Now, Black Lives Matter Dayton and Neighborhoods Over Politics came together for a joint press conference, not only to demand action to address the violence that's happening to Dayton youth, but also to start investing in the future of this area.
Dayton residents, students call for action after shooting death of DPS student
'One of the reasons why I decided to physically leave Dayton for myself and my children is because of the decades of divestment,' said Zakiya Sankara-Jabar, Racial Justice Now co-founder.
The three organizations held the joint press conference in response to the death of Dunbar High School Student Alfred Hale, who was shot and killed while waiting for a bus transfer in downtown on his way to school.
The groups are calling for action so that a situation like Hale's does not happen to another — they say it starts by investing in the community.
'We're tired of seeing Black youth being consistently and constantly dehumanized all over this country,' said Sankara-Jabar. 'Because I believe that budgets are moral documents, when you look at the City of Dayton's budget, when you look at even the county's budget, do you see where they love young people?'
The press conference highlighted this lack of investment in Dayton youth.
'We can't say that we love and care for our youth if we don't have something that shows we actually love and care for them,' said Jamica Garrison, Neighborhoods Over Politics co-founder. 'We need people in place and leaders in place to have the right heart.'
A push for the assembly of a multi-stakeholder team was also at the forefront of the discussion. The proposed team would address concerns of safety, transportation, mental health and more, all in an effort to help area youth.
'We urge leaders from Dayton Public Schools, the RTA, Dayton City Government and community stakeholders to convene for an open discussion about the future direction of our tax dollars and transportation funding,' said Carlos Buford, Black Lives Matter Dayton.
The groups hope that this call to action brings officials to the table, to make a better and safer Dayton for future generations.
'Come to the table and not just come to the table Bring some dollars, bring some resources. Bring your time, you know, have a plan, have a solution,' said Garrison.
Groups that were present Friday hope that a dialogue is started and also a coalition that will help address the concerns in Dayton.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Springfield Police searching for tips in Tuesday retail theft
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WCIA) — The Springfield Police Department is asking for help identifying two people whom officials accused of retail theft. The theft happened Tuesday at the Ulta Beauty on South Veterans Parkway. Officials did not go into detail about the crime or the value of stolen merchandise, but they did release images of the suspects. One is a Black male who was wearing a navy-blue jacket, a white t-shirt and a blue baseball cap. The other is a Black, dark-haired woman who was wearing a red or orange top and floral-patterned pants. Springfield Police issue 57 citations during traffic enforcement detail Anyone who can identify the suspects is asked to call the Springfield Police Department at 217-788-8325 or Sangamon/Menard County Crime Stoppers at 217-788-8427. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Gary man gets 70 years for killing marijuana dealer
A Gary man got 70 years Friday for killing a marijuana dealer. Tyrone Reno, 34, was convicted last month of murder in the Nov. 15, 2021, death of Quintez Johnson, 31, plus a gun enhancement. He faced up to 85 years. Johnson's two kids, aged 8 and 6, were in the apartment when he was shot. At trial, jurors viewed footage of an unmasked man running down a stairwell just after Johnson's death. They returned a guilty verdict after 15 minutes. Reno has said he is innocent and plans to appeal, his lawyer Natalie Williams said in court Friday, asking for a 45-year sentence. During lengthy remarks, Deputy Prosecutor Milana Petersen said Reno killed Johnson over cash and a 'little bit of weed.' She ultimately asked for 75 years. Johnson's mother, emotional on the stand, said her grandson still wouldn't eat spaghetti because it was the last dinner he ate with his dad. She expressed empathy for Reno's family. My son would have helped you, she told Reno. 'I just want to know why,' she said. 'He would have done anything you asked.' Earlier in the hearing, Petersen questioned Detective James Nielsen on videos from Reno's Facebook account. They showed him holding guns, money with rap music playing, or smoking. Williams objected throughout – saying they were posted in 2022 or later. His Facebook account was deactivated around the time of Johnson's death, she said. The lawyer argued there was no proof he was in a gang, a point Judge Salvador Vasquez agreed. Posting videos on Facebook with guns, money or rap music was not proof he lived a violent life. It was a false conjecture, she argued. Gary Police responded that day to an apartment building on the 1300 block of W. 5th Avenue for a homicide. Detectives found a trail of marijuana up the stairs to an open Pringles inside a third-floor apartment. Johnson was lying on the sofa. He had been shot twice in the head. There were no signs of struggle. Security cameras showed a Black man — later identified as Reno — arriving at Johnson's apartment, then fleeing about three minutes later. He had a handgun and a backpack with marijuana. Police believe Johnson was shot around 2 p.m. While a patrolman was writing a report at the Gary Police Station, 555 Polk St., a man who matched the one seen on the video walked by him and a colleague. He was wearing the same clothes, including a Black hoodie with white lining and brown tag. The other officer approached him. Reno gave his name, but he wasn't arrested, since the man in the video wasn't identified yet. Police learned Johnson started selling marijuana a month earlier to help pay his bills. Reno was arrested two years later. Investigators used 'facial recognition software' to help match security footage outside the Gary Police station to the man seen on camera at Johnson's apartment, court filings show. That left some questions on the software's accuracy. State lawmakers recently passed legislation to tighten standards for witness identification on photo lineups. It requires police to tell witnesses a suspect might not be in the lineup, cutting pressure to pick a photo; 'filler' photos – the non-suspects — have to look as close to a suspect as possible, and a witness' 'confidence' will have to be recorded. It also requires police to corroborate an identification by facial recognition software with other evidence. The law goes into effect July 1. mcolias@
San Francisco Chronicle
3 hours ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Federal judge recuses himself days before sentencing Memphis officers accused in Tyre Nichols' death
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — The federal judge presiding over the case against five former Memphis officers convicted in the fatal beating of Tyre Nichols recused himself Friday, just days before he was supposed to hand down sentences for the men. U.S. District Judge Mark S. Norris issued a one-sentence order saying he was recusing himself and returning "the matter to the Clerk for reassignment to another United States District Judge for all further proceedings.' Four of the five officers had been scheduled to be sentenced next week, the fifth on June 23. It was not immediately clear how Norris' decision would affect the case. Several motions had been filed under seal in recent days. It was not clear if any of those asked for Norris to step away from the case. It is unusual for a judge to recuse themself from a case between the trial and sentencing. The officers yanked Nichols from his car, then pepper-sprayed and hit the 29-year-old Black man with a Taser. Nichols fled, and when the five officers, who are also Black, caught up with him, they punched, kicked and hit him with a police baton. Nichols called out for his mother during the beating, which took place just steps from his home. Nichols died Jan. 10, 2023, three days later. Footage of the beating captured by a police pole camera also showed the officers milling about, talking and laughing as Nichols struggled with his injuries — video that prompted intense scrutiny of police in Memphis. The beating also sparked nationwide protests and prompted renewed calls for police reform. The five officers — Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Emmitt Martin, Desmond Mills Jr., and Justin Smith — were fired from the police force and indicted in state and federal court. Bean, Haley and Smith were found guilty in federal court in October of obstruction of justice through witness tampering related to an attempt to cover up the beating. The officers failed to say that they or their colleagues punched and kicked Nichols and broke Memphis Police Department rules when they did not include complete and accurate statements about what type of force they used. Bean and Smith were acquitted of more serious civil rights charges by the federal jury. Haley was found guilty of violating Nichols' civil rights by causing bodily injury and showing deliberate indifference to medical needs. He was also convicted of conspiracy to witness tamper. Bean and Smith were scheduled to be sentenced on Monday. Haley's sentencing was scheduled for Tuesday, and Martin was scheduled to be sentenced on Wednesday. Mills' sentencing was set for June 23. Martin Zummach, Smith's lawyer, referred questions on Norris' recusal to the district court and the U.S. Attorney's Office on Friday. Bean, Haley and Smith were acquitted in May of all state charges, including second-degree murder. The jury for the state trial was chosen in majority-white Hamilton County, which includes Chattanooga, after Judge James Jones Jr. ordered the case be heard from people outside of Shelby County, which includes the majority-Black Memphis. The officers' lawyers had argued that intense publicity made seating a fair jury difficult. Martin and Mills pleaded guilty in federal court last year to violating Nichols' civil rights by causing death and conspiracy to witness tamper. They did not stand trial in federal court with their former colleagues. Martin and Mills also avoided the trial in state court after reaching agreements to plead guilty there. Both Martin and Mills testified in the federal trial, and Mills also took the stand in the state trial. The officers were part of a crime suppression team called the Scorpion Unit that was disbanded weeks after Nichols died. The team targeted illegal drugs and guns, and violent offenders, and sometimes used force against unarmed people. In December, the U.S. Justice Department said a 17-month investigation showed the Memphis Police Department uses excessive force and discriminates against Black people. The investigation also found that the Memphis Police Department conducts unlawful stops, searches, and arrests. In May, the Trump administration announced it was retracting the findings of Justice Department civil rights investigations of police departments, including Memphis, that were issued under the Biden administration. The city has hired a former federal judge and created a task force to address police department reforms. The task force has not announced any recommendations. Nichols' family is suing the five officers, the city of Memphis and the police chief for $550 million. A trial has been scheduled in that case next year. Norris is the judge presiding over that case too. Court records in the lawsuit did not show any order of recusal Friday.
