god bless the morris family
Even 400 miles away on a 24K dialup connection, there's no escaping the shock and sadness of emails about the murder of Cheverly resident Spencer Morris near his home on the Fourth of July.
Please attend the C-PACT meeting in the police station conference room at 7pm tomorrow to learn the latest. It's in times like these when the citizen-police partnership can reap the greatest benefits.
Our thoughts and prayers are with Morrises.
In the immediate aftermath, Chief Robshaw released the following:
Wanted for the homicide that occurred at Cheverly Avenue and Kilmer Street on July 4, 2009, at approximately 5:15 PM:
Black Male, 6-00 in Height, Slim Build, Light Complexion
After reviewing this case, the original argument that lead to the shooting may have started at the basket court at St. Ambrose. The victim was returning from that location prior to the shooting. After reviewing the facts, I believe some of our younger Cheverly residents may know who the suspect is or have heard details about the shooting from other neighborhood friends. Parents need to ask their teenagers/young adults if they know anything about this incident and call the police or Email me as soon as possible. This appears to be a targeted crime and not a random act. We will have increased patrols throughout the coming week and additional officers working O/T looking for leads. Crime Solvers is offering a $25,000 reward.
Jeff K.
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Reader Comments (4)
We all within the Cheverly Community share in this loss and our thoughts and prayers are with the Morris Family. I also pray that those who committed this terrible act are quickly apprehended and brought to justice. I too believe that some of our youth within the neighborhood may have helpful information in solving this case. However, there remains a great element of distrust for the Cheverly Police Department from the very youths in Town you now look to for help. These are the same youths and young adults that have complained of harassment and racial profiling from the Cheverly Police for years. Might I suggest that the Police Department and the Town of Cheverly make some effort to improve upon these relations.
Cheverly has always been more than a town or a community. Cheverly has been a part of everyone's extended family via the neighborhood watch, the Boys and Girl's Club, local schools, parishes etc. This great family deeply mourns this loss. As we all strive to actively help the police department solve this case in any way possible, the Cheverly police department has negatively impacted our family by taking away the youth's ability to play freely without the threat of being cuffed, verbally threatened and viciously interrogated. Wearing a badge is an honor and a privilege. The Cheverly police department should be committed to serving and protecting all members of the Cheverly community; these officers have decided to execute their version of justice by any means necessary. Our children, neighbors, friends and family do not need to suffer underneath the hands of a tyrant that flashes a badge in the name of a justice that no one will benefit from! In order to be a community there must be unity and instead the Cheverly police department has turned into a predator that will brutally violate the civil rights of twenty in order to catch one. I hope that these antics will cease or the police department will be the divisive parasite within this family.
Finally. In all the years I've lived here in Cheverly and notice the treament by the Cheverly police of our black kids, especially on Cheverly Avenue and near Cheverly Terrace no one has ever spoken up. It needs to stop. Thank You..
The widespread use of racial profiling by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies is well documented. A September 2004 report by Amnesty International indicates that one in nine Americans has been victimized by racial profiling- a total of 32 million people nationwide.[3] Data collected in New Jersey, Maryland, Texas, Pennsylvania, Florida, Illinois, Ohio, New York and Massachusetts show that African-Americans and Latinos are being stopped for routine traffic violations in excess of their representation in the population or even the rate at which such populations are accused of criminal conduct.[4] Despite all this evidence, most states have not enacted laws to ban or curb racial profiling.