Yesterday, we brought you the story of an off-duty U.S. Customs Agent who defended himself against three armed teenagers in an attempted robbery.
The incident happened shortly before 8:15 p.m. Friday night in the area of First Avenue and Colorado Boulevard in Arcadia, California.
An off-duty customs agent was walking on a sidewalk when he was attacked from behind by three suspects – two 14-year-olds and an armed 15-year-old identified as Pasadena resident Darius Smith, authorities said.
One of the assailants allegedly repeatedly struck the agent in the head as another pointed a gun at him and demanded his property.
“The victim thought the subjects were going to rob and shoot him so he retrieved his department-issued handgun,” Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Deputy Caroline Rodriguez said. “The victim shot at the subjects in an effort to defend himself.”
Officers investigating the scene did recover a ‘replica gun’ at the scene Smith may have used in the attempted armed robbery, but are hoping video will be able to show them what happened. They believe cameras were rolling on the Gold Line and nearby businesses but because of the holiday weekend, detectives have not been able to access the video.
Smith’s mother, Reshawna Myricks, says she doesn’t need the video to know what happened.
“Them boys didn’t do that,” Myricks told KCAL, ”they aren’t those type of boys to do that.”
And now, Smith’s family has lawyered up, claiming he was a ‘good kid’ who was murdered.
“Darius Smith was executed,” attorney Lee Merritt told KABC in a follow-up story. “He was not in the midst of a robbery. He was shot twice in the legs first. [He fell] and his shooter got over him and shot him three times in the chest. That’s a murder. That’s not subduing the robbery.”
Notice he said “the robbery”, not “a robbery” or “alleged robbery”? In any event, Merritt and Black Lives Matter are saying young black men are often portrayed as criminals when no crime has taken place, and are demanding the robbery charges against Smith’s friends are dropped and that the off-duty agent face criminal charges.
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