Jesse Jackson Demands Action in Police Shooting of Aaron Clark Gray

Deadly Sheriff's Shooting Called "State Terrorism"

The shooting death of a twenty four year old Aaron Clark Gray in Spartanburg County by Sheriff's deputies is being a called a hate crime by one of the nation's leading civil rights activists. Jesse Jackson along with Gray's father are outraged. They say Gray was unarmed and senselessly slaughtered. Sheriff deputies say Gray tried to run them over and they had no other choice. Today Jackson demanded a thorough investigation. Standing with Kenneth Landrum, the victim's father, Jackson says, "the killing is a hate crime and that is illegal and unacceptable." Speaking at a morning worship service, Jackson urged action against injustices that plague African American communities. He also urged action against jobs going over seas, action against the recent beating of Larry Lewis by Greenville Sheriff's deputies and action against the killing of Aaron Clark Gray in Spartanburg. Sheriff Deputies claim Gray tired to run them over, but Jackson isn't buying it. He says, " It couldn't be that someone is running you over while you're shooting at point blank range, five times in the face, two times in the chest and the dead man can not speak for himself. So Gray's father sought Jackson's help for his slain son. Kenneth Landrum says, " I feel in my heart that this is a cover-up." Landrum says he will not rest until something is done. "I see my son looking at me in terror, his eyes wiife open. Daddy, Daddy they're killing me for nothing. That's all I see over and over in my head." But Jackson says that although it seems dark now, there is hope. " It is dark and people who want the light must come together and lift the ceiling." So far no officers have been charged and SLED is still investigating the shooting at the request of city officials. [more] and [more]