Skip to content Skip to footer
|

Vonderrit Myers “Shot in Back”: Slave Patrol Officials Continue Disinformation Campaign

For this slave patroller, African boys running down a street automatically indicate suspicious and criminal behavior.

In “Code Black Alert: Slave Patrols Alive and Well Across America, Part I – the Killing of Vonderrit Myers,” we stated: “…we will never know what happened in the ten minutes after Vonderrit Myers Jr., 18, carried his turkey sandwich out of frame and into the last ten minutes of his life.” An AP news story, however, this week has provided more clues into the violent last ten minutes of Vonderrit Myers’ short life.

Vonderrit Myers was murdered on October 9th by a moonlighting unidentified St. Louis police officer working as a private security guard. The slave patroller/police officer stated that he pursued Vonderrit because he saw him running down the street accompanied by friends. For this slave patroller, African boys running down a street automatically indicate suspicious and criminal behavior.

Michael Brown died on August 9th at the hands of Ferguson police officer Darryl Wilson – just 12 miles from the scene of Vonderrit’s execution. Brown was walking down the street with a friend that, from the perspective of his executioner, constituted “suspicious” behavior and led to his death.

The Myers family enlisted noted pathologist Dr. Cyril Wecht to perform an independent autopsy. Dr. Wecht is known for his exploration of the deaths of John F. Kennedy, Elvis Presley and Benet Ramsey. The autopsy revealed that the 18 year old was shot eight times. Six of the gunshots were from behind. In other words, the autopsy suggests that Vonderrit was running away from the slave patroller/police officer, in contradiction to the version offered by St. Louis police.

Dr. Wecht surmised that “Myers was initially shot six times in the back of both legs…another shot hit the side of the left leg, shattering his femur…the fatal wound was to the side of Myers’ face…” entering the right cheek.”

Myer’s attorney, Jerryl Christmas, offered, “The evidence show that the story we’ve been given by the Police Department does not match up…There’s no evidence that there was a gun battle going on.”

Predictably, St. Louis police have stated that Vonderrit was the aggressor and precipitated the confrontation by firing at the officer. Missouri State Highway Patrol issued a statement that gunshot residue was found on “Myer’s hand, waistband and shirt.” Both the Police Department cum Slave Patrol and Brian Millikan, the officer’s attorney, seem to indicate that the result of the ballistics report favors the police account.

The official report, that has changed numerous times, is that Vonderrit fired three shots before his gun jammed. The unidentified officer has stated that he did not discharge his weapon until Myer’s gun malfunctioned.

The police version of the last ten minutes of Vonderrit’s life has changed numerous times. Initially, Vonderrit was said to be wearing a hoody that the slave patroller pulled off during a scuffle. However, earlier security video from the convenience store does not show Vonderrit wearing a hoody. In addition, the police have stated that Vonderrit jumped out of bushes to attack the unidentified police officer but the bushes are missing from the crime scene photos. Finally, Vonderrit, according to police reports, is said to have fired a Ruger 9mm at the stalking police officer that later turns into a Smith and Wesson .038 in the next official version of the department’s report.

It’s clear that the St. Louis police department is engaged in a massive cover-up, falsifying documents, perhaps tampering with materials and iniquitous lying to protect one of its own.

Vonderitt’s story has not received the national attention it deserves, primarily because the police department moved quickly to demonize him with reports of previous interactions with law enforcement. However, despite the orchestrated attempt by the St. Louis police and the silence of the national media, his father, Vonderrit Myers, Sr., with his wife Syreeta by his side, spoke to supporters and activists who had marched to their home stating, “My son was loved and he still is loved.”

Vonderrit, a young man, looking forward to graduating from high school was buried yesterday. St. Louis police authorities have refused to release the name of the slave patroller who executed him.

We’re not going to stand for it. Are you?

You don’t bury your head in the sand. You know as well as we do what we’re facing as a country, as a people, and as a global community. Here at Truthout, we’re gearing up to meet these threats head on, but we need your support to do it: We must raise $18,000 before midnight to ensure we can keep publishing independent journalism that doesn’t shy away from difficult — and often dangerous — topics.

We can do this vital work because unlike most media, our journalism is free from government or corporate influence and censorship. But this is only sustainable if we have your support. If you like what you’re reading or just value what we do, will you take a few seconds to contribute to our work?