XENIA, Ohio (AP) — A special grand jury began hearing evidence Monday in the racially charged case of a fatal police shooting inside a Wal-Mart store.
No timetable has been made public on how long it will take to present evidence to the Greene County jurors or how long it might take for them to make a decision on whether anyone should face charges in the shooting of 22-year-old John Crawford III.
Some 20 people were outside the courthouse Monday morning to pray for "a peaceful process." Dozens of other people gathered Monday morning outside the Wal-Mart store in the Dayton suburb of Beavercreek and some planned to go on to Xenia.
Crawford, who was black, was shot by police Aug. 5 while holding an air rifle his family said he'd taken off a store shelf. Two white police officers responded to an emergency call reporting a man waving a gun. Police have said Crawford was shot after he didn't obey the officers' commands to put the weapon down.
Crawford's family said he was there shopping and did nothing to warrant being shot.
The family and supporters including the president of the Ohio Legislative Black Caucus and the Rev. Al Sharpton have pushed for public release of store surveillance video. State Attorney General Mike DeWine has refused, saying it could compromise the investigation and taint a potential jury pool. DeWine named a veteran Hamilton County prosecutor, Mark Piepmeier, to take the case to the grand jury.
The family and other supporters also want federal authorities to investigate whether race was a factor in the shooting.
On Monday, a handful of demonstrators stood on a street corner outside the courthouse with signs critical of authorities' handling of the case, with messages such as "Justice 4 All" and "Toy Guns Don't Kill People Cops Do."
Prentiss Haney, a member of the Ohio Student Association based at Wright State University, said a rally was planned Monday afternoon. He said the demonstrators want the video released, charges brought against the police and the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate.
"We believe this is not just a problem in this area, but a national problem deeply rooted in racism that has plagued black and brown lives in our country," Haney said.
The Rev. Gloria Dillon, pastor of the non-denominational Glory Ministries in Xenia, said she and others want to be outside the courthouse to pray as much as possible through the grand jury proceedings. Dillon said her group wasn't there to take sides.
The Rev. LeRoy Anthony, pastor of Middle Run Baptist Church in Xenia, echoed Dillon's sentiments.
"We are praying for a peaceful process," he said. "We don't want things that have happened in other communities with similar situations to happen here."
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