A brief encounter on April 14, 2005 in front of the Detroiter Bar near Greektown between Eric Williams, known on the streets as “Mr. Magoo”, and State Police Officer Jay Morningstar, proved fatal. State Police claimed that Williams had lunged at the officer with his hands down around his waist sparking Morningstar to shoot him down.

The incident gained considerable attention in the city. Despite the police version of the story which attempted to justify Morningstar’s actions in gunning down Williams, the victim was unarmed and posed no physical threat to the two state officers. Morningstar’s partner, Officer Theresa Malone, did not fire her weapon.

Williams was killed at the age of 40. His life was similar to many other people who live on the streets in Detroit. Their lives are marked by poverty and the lack of medical attention for both mental and psychological ailments. Many families in Detroit have loved ones that suffer from mental illness, drug and alcohol addiction, poverty and homelessness. These men and women often face the wrath of the local police and, now, state authorities who are patrolling at an increased rate inside Detroit.

The Detroit Coalition Against Police Brutality (DCAPB) immediately supported the family of Eric Williams and made attempts to rally homeless people in the Downtown area to speak out against the murder of Williams.

As a result of public pressure, the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office filed charges against Morningstar for second-degree murder. Videotape from a Detroit Police patrol car was utilized by the prosecution as evidence that the killing of Williams was unjustified.

When the trial of Morningstar began on December 1, 2005, he rejected an offer for a plea bargain where he would accept conviction on manslaughter in exchange for 3 years of probation. This effort was a clear indication that the prosecution would not try this case in a manner that would result in conviction. A second-degree murder charge could have resulted in a sentence of up to life imprisonment. However, this was the first time in Michigan history that a State Police officer was charged with such a serious crime.

Morningstar received the support of his colleagues. In a publication put out by the Law Enforcement Legal Defense Fund entitled, “With Justice For All”, the Fall 2005 issue stated: “It was a moment of truth. In a split second Officer Morningstar had to decide: Is this man armed and will my partner and I be his victims? When Williams was just a few feet away, Officer Morningstar, fearing that he would be shot, fired one shot at Williams. That shot killed him instantly.”

They went on to posthumously criminalize Williams: “Eric Williams had a lengthy police record: 147 encounters with police, including 27 incidents in which he was violent. The 40-year-old black man was a panhandler who lived on the street. He was known to become violent after drinking. That night he had been on a drunken rampage, throwing a chair in the bar and a brick when outside the tavern. At the time of his death, he was legally drunk and had cocaine in his system as well.”

This attack on Williams’ character after his death was designed to make him look like a criminal rather than the victim of an overzealous State Police officer. Consequently, with a weak case presented by the Prosecutor’s office and the lack of investigative reporting by the corporate press, Morningstar was acquitted on all charges.

Detroit was being promoted last year as an emerging showpiece for the corporate community. The All-Star Baseball game was scheduled to take place in 3 months downtown after the murder of Williams. There was considerable effort to clear out the homeless, the poor and mentally ill from the downtown area. Prior to the Superbowl XL game at Ford Field, similar efforts took place to sweep the street people out of the area.

Despite the acquittal of Officer Morningstar, the family of Eric Williams has continued to seek some semblanceof justice from the State Police. Several days after the acquittal, Farmington Hills attorney Arnold Reed argued that the State Policeman committed gross negligence and used unnecessary deadly force. The family of Williams wants $10 million in damages for the killing by Morningstar.

In a statement of support from the Detroit Coalition Against Police Brutality the group calls for the representatives of the State Legislature, Wayne County government officials, and other City of Detroit and public agencies to join in the call for justice in the case of Eric ‘Mr. Magoo’ Williams. The acquittal of Trooper Morningstar on the murder and manslaughter charges by the Wayne County Circuit Court jury is a vote for barbarism and injustice. The Coalition has received numerous calls and e-mails from Detroiters as well as suburbanites demanding that we refuse to let Eric Williams die in vain.

Abayomi Azikiwe is editor of the Pan-African Newswire.