SHOT HIM TWICE THROUGH A CLOSE
WINDOW, SHE HITTING HIM ONCE I
THE HEAD
AND THEN A SECOND TIME IN TH
ARM.
LESTER WAS INITIALLY TAKEN INT
CUSTODY FOR 24 HOURS BUT WAS
RELEASED WITHOUT BEING CHARGED
NOW A WARRANT IS OUT FOR HIS
ARREST IT.
>> THIS AFTERNOON, MY OFFICE
RECEIVED A CRIMINAL REFERRAL
FROM THE KANSAS CITY MISSOUR
POLICE DEPARTMENT.
AFTER A THOROUGH REVIEW OF THE
CASE FILE, THE APPROPRIATE LAW
AND INFORMATION GAINED DURIN
THE INVESTIGATION FOR THIS CASE,
I FILED TWO FELONY COUNTS.
WE UNDERSTAND HOW FRUSTRATIN
THIS HAS BEEN, BUT I CAN ASSUR
YOU THAT THE CRIMINAL JUSTIC
SYSTEM IS WORKING, AND WIL
CONTINUE TO WORK
>> LESTER FACES CHARGES OF
ASSAULT IN THE FIRST DEGREE,
AND ARMED CRIMINAL ACTIO
FOLLOWING A SENTENCE OF UP T
LIFE IN PRISON
MEANWHILE TONIGHT, HE IS
THANKFULLY IN STABLE CONDITION
HE HAS BEEN RELEASED FROM TH
HOSPITAL
BENJAMIN CRUMP IS REPRESENTING
THE FAMILY OF ROLFE YARL, HE
JOINS US NOW
ATTORNEY CRUMP, IT'S NICE TO
SEE YOU AGAIN, THANK YOU S
MUCH FOR JOINING US, IT'S BEEN
A BUSY DAY FOR YOU
FIRST, WHAT'S YOUR REACTION TO
THESE CHARGES FILED AGAINST MR
LAST YEAR?
ARE YOU SATISFIED WITH THEM?
WOULD YOU WANT TO SEE ATTEMPTE
MURDER AS A POSSIBLE CHARGE?
>> A MAN, WE ALWAYS WANT T
HAVE CLAUDE --
WE WANT TO HAVE THESE PEOPLE I
KILL OUR CHILDREN, INTO OU
CHILDREN, HAVE THE MAXIMUM O
THE LAW WOULD ALLOW.
TALKING WITH HIS FAMILY, THE
ARE RELIEVED THAT THIS PERSO
WHO ATTEMPTED TO MURDER THIS
16-YEAR-OLD CHILD, JUST RINGIN
THE DOORBELL, WOULD BE FACIN
FELONY CHARGES THAT COULD HAVE
THEM IMPRISONED FOR LIFE
IT IS A STEP IN THE RIGH
DIRECTION.
WE KNOW WE CAN'T GET HAPPY WIT
JUST CHARGES, WE HAVE TO SEE
THIS THROUGH TO THE CONVICTION
>> YOU MENTIONED THAT TH
FAMILY IS RELIEVED, CAN YO
EXPAND MORE ON THE REACTION TO
THE CHARGES?
WERE THEY CONCERNED THAT THE
CHARGES WOULD NOT BE BROUGHT
HEADED NOT BEFORE THE PUBLIC
PRESSURE CAMPAIGN OVER THE NEX
SEVERAL DAYS THAT BROUGHT THIS
TO THE FOREFRONT OF TH
NATIONAL ATTENTION
>> THEY WERE VERY CONCERNED,
AND IN FACT, YOU ALL SAID HE
WAS HELD FOR 24 HOURS, THAT'
NOT CORRECT.
HE WAS ONLY HELD FOR 20 MINUTE
OF QUESTIONING, AND THAT
ALLOWED THIS MAN TO LEAVE AN
GO HOME, SLEEP IN HIS BED.
WHO ARE VERY CONCERNED WHETHER
THEY WOULD SEE A BIAS, JUS
SYSTEM AT PLAY AS WE IN TH
BLACK COMMUNITY HAVE SEEN FA
TOO OFTEN.
YOU KNOW, PRESIDENT BIDE
CALLED THE FAMILY TODAY TO
OFFER PRAYERS, AND TO CHECK ON
RALPH, AND YOU TELL HIM THAT
EVERYBODY IS PLAYING FOR HIM
IT WAS 15 MINUTES AFTER TH
CONVERSATION WHERE PRESIDENT
BIDEN, THE PROSECUTOR HAD HI
PRESS CONFERENCE TO ANNOUNCE
THAT THEY WERE, IN FACT, GOING
TO HAVE A ANOTHER MISCARRIAG
OF JUSTICE AGAIN FOR AN UNARME
BLACK CHILD WHO WAS SHOT BY
WOULD-BE VIGILANTE
>> SPEAKING OF THAT, LET ME AS
YOU ABOUT MISSOURI'S STAND YOU
GROUND LAW
WE DO HAVE THAT LIE IN PLACE I
MISSOURI, DO YOU EXPECT LESS O
TO USE IT IN HIS DEFENSE
HOW DID YOU COUNTER THAT
ARGUMENT THAT HE WAS DEFENDING
HIS CASTLE OR STANDING HIS
GROUND
>> YOU KNOW, MY CO-COUNSEL, MY
OMEGA BROTHER LEE MARITAL,
WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THI
FROM THE LEGAL TEAM.
WE KNOW THAT THEY ALWAYS RAISE
THESE ASININE DEFENSES WHE
THEY PROFILE OUR CHILDREN AN
KILL THEM.
WE KNOW THAT FROM TRAYVO
MARTIN, IN PAST HISTORY, EVE
MORE RECENT HISTORY WITH AHMAU
ARBERY
IN BOTH OF THOSE IS THIS IS,
JUST LIKE THIS, THE SHOOTERS O
THESE UNARMED BLACK YOUN
PEOPLE
THEY WERE ALLOWED TO GO HOME
AND SLEEP IN THEIR BEDS AT
NIGHT, AND SO WE KNOW THAT
THEY'RE GOING TO COME UP WIT
THIS DEFENSE
WE HAVE TO CONTINUE TO HOLD
MIRROR TO AMERICA'S FACE AND
SAY HOW ASININE THIS IS, THA
IF THE ROADS WOULD'VE BEEN
REVERSED, AND THAT WOULD'V
BEEN A BLACK MAN WHO SHOT A 16
YEAR OLD KID IN THE HEAD FOR
MERELY RINGING THE DOORBELL AN
THEN CAME AND SHOT A SECON
SHOT, AIMING AT HIS CHEST.
IF HIS ARM WASN'T THERE, I
WOULD'VE GONE INTO HIS CHEST
AREA WHERE HE WOULD HAVE BEE
ARRESTED IMMEDIATELY AND
PROCESSED THAT, AND NOT LET OU
OF JAIL INTO THERE WAS A BAIL.
IT WOULD'VE BEEN A 20-MINUTE
QUESTION AND INTERSECTION,
HAVING HIM ON THE BACK AND SAY
ALL IS WELL.
NO, THAT BLACK MEN WOULD HAV
WENT TO JAIL AND HAD HE NOT,
GONE TO JAIL FOR SHOOTING
17-YEAR-OLD WHITE TEENAGER, IT
WOULD'VE BEEN A NATIONAL OUTCR
LIKE WE HAVE NEVER SEEN IN
AMERICA.
WHEN THEY TELL U
STAND-YOUR-GROUND, WE JUST
REMINDED THAT, YOU KNOW, W
CAN'T HAVE WHAT BLACK PEOPLE O
PROFILE JUST FOR BRINGING
DOORBELL, AND THEN SHOT.
WHAT HAPPENED TO AMAZO
DELIVERIES AND FEDEX DELIVERIES?
>> AND YOU BRING UP A REALLY
GOOD POINT, IT'S A
HEARTBREAKING POINT WHEN YOU
BRING UP TRAYVON MARTIN, ARMAN
ARBERY, WE ARE ALL FAMILIA
WHAT HAPPENED WITH THEM.
WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE TO BETTE
PROTECT OUR YOUNG BLACK MEN AN
CHILDREN
>> WELL, PEOPLE OFTEN ASK, WHA
CAN WE SHALL TELL OUR CHILDREN
WE CAN'T TELL OUR CHILDREN
EVERYTHING TO KEEP THEM FROM
BEING DISCRIMINATED AGAINST, O
PROFILED
DRIVING WHILE BLACK, SHOPPIN
WHILE BLACK, WALKING WHILE
BLACK, YOU CAN HAVE NOTHIN
THAT YOU CAN DO.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT RINGING
DOORBELL WHILE BLACK
WHAT WE HAVE TO DO IS TEAC
CITIZENS IN AMERICA OUR WHIT
BROTHERS AND SISTERS, JUST LIK
YOU LOVE YOUR CHILDREN, AND YO
WANT PEOPLE TO TREAT THEM WITH
DIGNITY AND RESPECT, WE WANT
THE SAME THING FOR OUR CHILDREN.
IN THE SAME WAY THAT YOU WOULD
GIVE YOUR OWN CHILDREN THE
BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT, TH
BENEFIT OF CONSIDERATION
THE BENEFIT OF RESPECT
THAT'S WHAT BLACK AMERICA WANT
FOR OUR CHILDREN ALSO.
>> LET'S HOPE THAT WE CA
DELIVER THAT, AT LEAST FOR THE
SAKE OF RALPH YARL AND HIS
FAMILY
BENJAMIN CRUMP, I REALLY
APPRECIATED, I KNOW IT'S BEEN