Fatal police shooting is ‘act of terror’: Rev. Barber
Contact: Martha Waggoner: mwaggoner@breachrepairers.org
Comments by Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II, president of Repairers of the Breach, on the fatal shooting of Brandon Combs by a Concord police officer
Rev. Dr. Barber spoke via phone at a news conference Tuesday in Charlotte led by attorneys for Combs’ mother, Virginia Tayara
“Homicide is homicide no matter who commits it. But when the accusation and evidence point toward a sworn officer of the law, homicide becomes an act of terror performed by the very person sworn to protect and serve.
“This can never be tolerated, swept under the rug or left unprosecuted. It represents a crime against humanity, the community and the Constitution. We are demanding transparency and accountability. We are demanding that the district attorney not derelict her duty. We are demanding justice for this family and community.
“We must have a deep-dive investigation to see if there are systemic problems that would even cause an officer of the law to feel he could engage in what the coroner has now deemed homicide and get away with it.”
BACKGROUND:
Virginia Tayara, whose son Brandon Combs was shot and killed by Concord Police Department on Feb. 13, along with her attorneys, announced Tuesday a wrongful death lawsuit against the department and Timothy Larson, the former officer who shot and killed Combs.
Tayara is represented by Chimeaka White (The White Law Firm), Harry Daniels (The Law Offices of Harry Daniels) and Chance Lynch (Lynch Law).
Combs’ death was ruled a homicide, according to documents released earlier this month. The Concord Police Department has refused to release video of the fatal shooting. Attorneys said, however, that the video shows Larson firing five rounds at Combs, pausing briefly to report that shots had been fired at the scene, then shooting Combs again.
While a CPD news release following the shooting claimed a “physical altercation” between Larson and Combs, the video shows that didn’t happen.