'The fight doesn't end with George Floyd,' activist says
Activists say a closed case about an officer-involved shooting in Tampa needs to be reopened
Justin Matthews reports
TAMPA, Fla. - The Tampa Bay Community Action Committee (TBCAC) rallied at Joe Chillura Courthouse Square Saturday to call for State Attorney Andrew Warren to re-open the case of Jonas Joseph, who was shot and killed by Tampa police officers on April 28, 2020.
Police say Joseph backed into a patrol car during a traffic stop, then shot at officers. TPD officers fired back, shooting 125 rounds into Joseph's car and killing him.
Leaders of the Black Lives Matter movement said witnesses told them Joseph never fired any shots. According to the state attorney's report, a lack of shell casings suggests Joseph may not have fired his gun, but the facts of the case proved a reasonable belief that officers feared for their lives.
"Things aren't adding up and this case needs to be taken seriously because there is not only the pandemic of the coronavirus, but there's a pandemic of murdering black people in this country," said Elizabeth Kramer, a member of the TBCAC.
PREVIOS: A four-month-long 'nightmare' waiting for more answers, Joseph's family says
Joseph's family agrees and is asking for the release of dashcam video of the incident, but TPD said none of the patrol cars had dash cams.
Saturday's protest also called for the justice of 29-year-old Dijon Kizzee, who was shot and killed Friday in Los Angeles while trying to run away from LA County sheriff's deputies, according to reports.