Protestors rally against Kroger, security guard and employer after fatal shooting of a black man
MEMPHIS, Tenn. August 16 2021— It’s been a week since a man visiting Memphis from Chicago was shot dead by a security guard at an East Memphis Kroger Fuel Center over loud music.
‘This murder will not be in vain’ said Attorney Ben Crump who know represents Alvin Motley’s family in the shooting incident.
Police say that an on-duty security guard fatally shot Motley because his radio was too loud.
Gregory Livingston, the ex-security guard sis now behind bars charged with the murder.
On Saturday, demonstrators went back to where the deadly attack happened, and they are demanding Kroger, who employed the guard, also bear some of the responsibility.
“It don’t make no sense,” said activist Frank Gottie.
It’s the so-called senselessness that has these protesters battling these brutal temperatures in a fight they say against the brutality of what happened here.
“If it’s too loud, they need to call the proper authorities to handle it. You don’t take the law into your own hands,” said Paula Buress, who organized the event.
Unfortunately, it is alleged the guard on duty, Livingston, did just that, as detectives say he shot Motley in the chest following an argument over loud music.
“It is not right to take someone’s life for playing loud music,” said Buress.
These demonstrators are now playing their own music for Motley, they say.
“Where do we live in Memphis, the music capital of the United States, and someone is dead because of playing loud music,” Buress said.
The demonstrators’ messages can be seen with signs and heard with bullhorns in hand. But these protesters add they are demanding the company that employed the security guard-charged with the deadly attack step up to take responsibility for what happened.
“They have to own up to their responsibility, they are the ones who hired the security company. The security company also has to own up to what they’ve done too,” said Gottie.
And what these demonstrators say was done is criminal.
“I can sum it up in 3 seconds, murder,” said Buress.
This is not the first time the protestors have rallied against security guards and their employers after fatal shootings.
Just weeks ago, protesters rallied in Chicago and Atlanta after fatal shooting there by security officers and since 2017 there have been at least nine other organized protests after private security officers fatally shot people of color.
