A judge in Missouri has ruled the fatal shooting of a Black and Filipino man by his neighbor as justifiable homicide.
On Nov. 3, 28-year-old Justin King was fatally shot by his neighbor in a trailer park community in the rural city of Bourbon, Missouri. On Tuesday, his murder was ruled justifiable during an inquest, NBC News reports. The news outlet reports his family contested the police’s account of the incident. The shooter’s name has reportedly not been revealed as no charges against them have been filed.
To help with determining King’s manner of death, six county residents were presented with evidence, along with statements from witnesses. The entire proceeding lasted from 9 a.m. to around 6 p.m. According to NBC News, the Crawford County Sheriff’s Office first said King was shot after he forcibly entered a “neighboring residence,” where the homeowner “feared for his life.” Under Missouri’s “castle doctrine” law, a person can use deadly force against an intruder.
However, Nimrod Chapel Jr., the president of the Missouri chapter of NAACP and King’s family’s representative, says King was shot outside of the neighbor’s home. He added that King actually never entered the home. “The family is distraught. They were promised the evidence, and what they ended up with was seeing their son being vilified,” after the inquest, NBC News reports.
“They do not accept the findings of the coroner’s jury and have great issues with the process and the manner in which that finding was found and has been articulated,” he continued.
King moved from St. Louis to Bourbon to be closer to his daughter, his family says, per NBC News. His neighbors said that King and the shooter had become friends prior to the shooting. King’s father, John King, says his son was the only Black person in the trailer park, adding that he believes King’s shooting was “racially-motivated” by “hate.”
“The only person that says it’s a home invasion is the guy that shot my son,” said John. “And all the neighbors are saying, ‘No, you shot him in cold blood outside.'”
