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Protesters shut down Beavercreek Walmart

James Pilcher
jpilcher@enquirer.com
  • Four arrested during protest over fatal shooting in store.
  • Event held to protest police shooting of John Crawford III.

BEAVERCREEK — Four protesters were arrested Saturday following a demonstration at a Walmart store where a young man was killed by police in August. The protest led to the temporary closure of the store.

A Walmart Stores Inc. spokesman says the store in the Dayton suburb of Beavercreek has been closed temporarily for the safety of shoppers and employees while police respond. The closure lasted about two hours.

A message was left Saturday for Beavercreek police by the Associated Press.

Protesters who were staging a "die-in" Saturday afternoon have said they are demanding justice for John Crawford III. Crawford was shot Aug. 5 while carrying an air rifle in the store. Police said they believed he had a real firearm.

A special grand jury concluded the shooting was justified. Crawford's family Tuesday filed a federal lawsuit charging negligence and violation of the 22-year-old man's civil rights.

The protest took place in conjunction with other protests in the Cleveland area held Saturday over the fatal police shooting of a 12-year-old boy.

"We're here to make a statement, to question and combat a system that is in fact not broken, but operating exactly as designed," said Julius Eason, one of the protestors. "In regards to injustice toward black people and other people of color in this country: it's exhausting us, it's killing us, and we're sick of it."

According to a press release issued by one of the protesters, several members of the group lay down in the aisle where Crawford was shot. In addition, Rev. Jerome McCorry placed a bouquet of flowers on the spot were Crawford died.

Only two of those arrested have been identified. One is Sandy King, 56, of Yellow Springs. The other is Elias Jones from Beavercreek. All four have been released on bond.

The Associated Press contributed.