Hundreds took to the streets in Richmond this weekend to demand more from Richmond Police, following the fatal shooting of an unarmed man who charged at an officer.
24-year-old Marcus David Peters graduated from VCU. That’s where marchers began before walking to Richmond police headquarters. There they demanded police open themselves up to review by an elected civilian board.
The march was led by Peters’ family, including his sister Princess Blanding. But the call to action
Edward Sheppard is a Richmond resident. He didn’t know Peters personally, but doesn’t think that matters.
“It feels like he’s a lost brother from another mother that I never got to meet, but he’s a strong man that something happened to him that it shouldn’t ever happen,” says Sheppard.
Carolynn Stanton Saldivar came all the way from her home in Portsmouth.
“It’s important because I have grandkids, it’s important because we as people -- and you can see the diversity in ethnic groups here, that we all care,” Stanton Saldivar says.
She cares about the cops too, she adds, so long as their doing the right thing. Her brother is one, so she understands how difficult the job is.
“And I feel that part as well, not knowing what you’re going to come up against and what you’re going to have to deal with.”
Stanton Saldivar hasn’t talked to her brother about this latest incident. She just prays her brother stays safe, and leaves it at that.
This report, provided by Virginia Public Radio, was made possible with support from the Virginia Education Association.
