The Ypsilanti Courier
A Heritage Newspaper
Weekly Publication
Accusations fly at neighborhood meeting
Residents air concerns over lack of available information
By Kathleen Conat, Special Writer
PUBLISHED: February 15, 2007
A meeting of the Riverside Neighborhood Association last week deteriorated into accusations, directed at law enforcement officials, of racism and promoting a cover-up.
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The meeting had been called to discuss a Jan. 23 shooting that left one man dead and another wounded.
David Eugene Ware, 29, of Taylor was shot by Ypsilanti police as he fled the scene of an undercover drug purchase and Maurice Moore, 25, of Ypsilanti Township suffered minor injuries from a gunshot wound and from being struck by a law enforcement vehicle.
Local residents, who attended the two-hour meeting, voiced criticism directed at Washtenaw County Prosecutor Brian Mackie for his quick clearing of the law enforcement officers involved.
Edward Penet, secretary of the neighborhood association, began by saying the issues to be discussed would be what the Livingston and Washtenaw Narcotics Enforcement Team is, an explanation of the rules for using deadly force and why the incident had occurred in the residential neighborhood.
Penet introduced Michigan State Police Lt. Garth Burnside, director of the LAWNET program; Ypsilanti Chief of Police Matt Harshberger and Washtenaw County Sheriff Dan Minzey. Both Harshberger and Minzey have officers who were involved in the incident.
Burnside gave an overview of LAWNET's composition and purpose. He and Harshberger explained that details of the specific incident could not be discussed because there is a suspect awaiting trial.
They did, however, explain that the drug purchase was not originally intended to happen where it did. Burnside said the suspects kept changing the proposed meeting place throughout the evening, eventually ending up at the Keg Party Store on North Huron Street.
Earlier that evening, information had been released that Ware had sold $2,800 of suspected crack cocaine to undercover Ypsilanti Police Officer Uriah Hamilton.
Hamilton, who is white, was the officer who shot Ware, a black man. Hamilton has been cleared of wrongdoing by the prosecutor.
A second officer, Washtenaw County Sheriff's Detective Samuel Wallace, was also cleared of wrongdoing. Wallace, a black man, fired shots at Moore as he attempted to run Wallace down with his car. Moore is awaiting trial in the incident.
Harshberger said neither he, nor Minzey, had received copies of the report given to the prosecutor that resulted from an investigation conducted by the Michigan State Police.
Both departments will conduct internal investigations to make sure departmental policies and procedures were followed, but these investigations cannot proceed without the state police report.
Many in the audience voiced anger and frustration that the reports, on which Mackie's office had based the decision not to file charges, were not available. Several discussions broke out between audience members and the police when officials said they did not have or could not release specific information.
Harshberger said the investigative process is slow, but information would be available in time. He asked for patience as the process wound its way through the courts.
Several members of the crowd then demanded a separate investigation be conducted by non-law enforcement individuals.
Ypsilanti Mayor Paul Schreiber said the City Council would have to review all reports before such an investigation would be authorized.
He said he was open to the idea, depending on what was in the reports.
Kathleen Conat is a longtime Ypsilanti resident and freelance writer for The Courier. She can be reached through editor@ypsilanticourier.com.
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