Omega Man Killed by Police

[DoggyStyle82]

Posted on Tue, Dec. 16, 2003

Walker's death 'a call to action'
Rally unites many concerned citizens looking for answers
BY CHUCK WILLIAMS
Staff Writer

Michael Ellison stood quietly, listening intently.

The 50-year-old Columbus Technical College employee was one of about 350 people attending an Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance rally sparked by last week's death of Kenneth B. Walker, who was shot by a Muscogee County Sheriff's Department deputy.

There were also local officials and dignitaries in the crowd -- Superior Court Judge John Allen, Rep. Calvin Smyre, City Manager Carmen Cavezza, Columbus Councilor Nathan Suber and Councilor Wayne Anthony.

Ellison was prompted to attend by his pastor at World Change Tabernacle, Prathan L. Powell.

"I am here supporting the effort to find out what really happened," Ellison said. "And, hopefully, to see that it doesn't continue to happen."

The crowd outside the Government Center was predominantly black. Anthony, a white councilor who was elected city- wide last year, said that was unfortunate.

"This represents the pain and agony of a community that goes far beyond this horrific tragedy," Anthony said. "We are a whole community, and the whole community was not represented."

Cavezza, the highest ranking city official in attendance, watched the proceedings carefully.

"I see a lot of emotion and I see a lot of unity," Cavezza said. "It is clearly constructive and appropriate; and that is encouraging."

Near the end of the rally, a group of Walker's Omega Psi Phi fraternity brothers linked arms and sang their song of brotherhood, "Omega Dear."

Reginald Dean Sullivan, one of Walker's fraternity brothers and friends, said the tragedy has pulled the men together.

"We are a fraternity that believes strongly in friendship and brotherhood," said Sullivan, 42. "This has drawn us closer together. This is a call to action that things need to be done in our community to make it better. We have a history of these types of problems and that history needs to be changed."

[DoggyStyle82]

Seeking triumph amid tragedy
'Columbus, Georgia, I am here to tell you God's up to something'
BY KELLI ESTERS
Staff Writer

From the pulpit of a packed church, the Rev. Daryl Stover summed up the death of his friend Kenneth B. Walker in one sentence.

"Columbus, Georgia," the Decatur minister said, pausing, "I am here to tell you God's up to something."

Filled with emotion and pain, Stover and hundreds of others came to St. Mary's Road United Methodist Church on Tuesday afternoon to celebrate Walker's life and question the circumstances of his death.

Walker, 39, was shot and killed by a sheriff's deputy a week ago. The details of the shooting are still under investigation.

During the services Tuesday, Walker was described as a devoted husband, father and son; respected in his church; a 15-year employee of Blue Cross and Blue Shield; a Kendrick High School basketball star; and a dedicated brother of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc.

Many of those present at the funeral were middle class professionals. Some wore ID badges from Blue Cross and Blue Shield. Others waved their hands as the choir sung songs asking God to order their steps and tell their hearts what he wants them to do. All were hurting.

The usher board, which Walker used to serve on, walked around the church passing out tissues and consoling grieving family members.

A number of elected officials and city leaders attended the funeral. The people in the crowded church included U.S. Rep. Sanford Bishop, Superior Court Judge John Allen, state Sen. Ed Harbison, state Rep. Calvin Smyre, Columbus Mayor Bob Poydasheff, City Manager Carmen Cavezza, and Columbus councilors Nathan Suber, Evelyn Pugh, Julius Hunter, Jack Rodgers and Glenn Davis.

The Rev. Douglas Force, pastor of Walker's home church St. Mary's Road United Methodist, called Walker "a gem of a human being."

Force spoke briefly before the eulogist came to the pulpit, telling the congregation even though they are feeling "tired and slaughtered," it's time to be "ambassadors of peace." He also shared an experience where he felt racially profiled by Columbus law enforcement.

"Every stop may be our last. There are too many people in this country who don't understand that," Force said. "It's time we stop living in denial. It's time to start holding folks accountable for their position."

John Wilson shared memories of his friend Walker while showing no shame in his tears. He said Walker was not a typical only child, but the exact opposite -- "self sacrificing."

"We can't make sense out of senselessness," Wilson said.

There was laughter through the tears as Varrick McIntosh, a childhood neighbor, shared stories of him and Walker growing up. He told the congregation of their using their Cub Scout training to make a fire in the forest Saturday mornings to cook bacon and hotdogs, or exercising the night before Christmas so they would be able to sleep through the night.

Walker's 3-year-old daughter, Kayla, was not present. His wife, Cheryl, and mother, Emily, were comforted by family members.

Stover, who grew up in Columbus, delivered the eulogy. He said it was a tragic event that led to hundreds of mourners filing in that church Tuesday, but encouraged them to "triumph over tragedy."

"God has not left Kayla. God has not left Cheryl," Stover said. "He is going to give you double for your trouble."

Stover looked at "Mother Walker."

"You don't have one son, you have many sons," he said.

At that time, those who were members of the Omega fraternity stood and clapped.

Stover said even though there is a lot of confusion as to why Walker died, the big picture is Walker now has a higher purpose.

"That night a regular man become a soldier in the army of God," Stover said. "I have the last word over a good soldier."

[DoggyStyle82]

Posted on Sun, Dec. 21, 2003

Tragic death has city talking
Deck goes here
BY CHUCK WILLIAMS
Staff Writer

Kenneth B. Walker's death hit a nerve.

The discussion began in the early morning hours of Dec. 11 when word of Walker's death began to spread among his family and friends.

At the center of that discussion are the circumstances of Walker's death. He was shot to death by a Muscogee County Sheriff's deputy during a traffic stop of a vehicle suspected in drug trafficking. Walker and three other men were pulled from the gray GMC Yukon. No drugs or guns were found.

The discussion has now spread throughout the community. People talk about Walker's death in stores and at parties. This past week, the Ledger-Enquirer talked to a number of people about the tragedy and its impact on Columbus.

The Rev. Douglas Force, Walker's pastor, said the intensity and passion of the discussion revolves around one fact: "In theological language," Force said, "this was innocent blood."

Several common threads run through the conversations. One is anger. Another is fear. Yet another is a one-word question: Why? The discussion touches on topics such as race and racial profiling.

Kenneth B. Walker

To understand the discussion, you need to know a little about Kenneth B. Walker. The facts: He was 39. He had a wife, Cheryl; a 3-year-old daughter, Kayla. His mother, Emily, was a career educator. Walker was active in his church, St. Mary's Road United Methodist, and his social fraternity, Omega Psi Phi. He was a longtime employee of Blue Cross and Blue Shield.

Here's what others say about Walker.

• "He was the good son," said Sharon Douglas, an Aflac executive. "His mama taught him right. People would be in a room and talk about doing something a little crazy and he was always the one who would say, 'No, dog.' "

• "Kenny's father was my homeroom teacher in high school," said Isaiah Hugley, deputy city manager. "I know his mother. Kenny was a great guy. He was the model of what any mother or father would want of a son. He was competitive in high school sports. He didn't give up and completed his education. He married, had a child. He went out and got a professional job and worked it for 15 years. He was church-going, and he worked in his church. He worked in his fraternity. He gave back to this community. He is the model of what I would want my son to be."

• City Manager Carmen Cavezza did not know Walker, but attended his funeral Tuesday afternoon. "We all know Kenny Walker, even if we have never met him," Cavezza said. "You could not leave that church without knowing who Kenny Walker was."

Mothers and sons

Black mothers have special concerns when they send their sons out into the world.

• "What happened to Kenny Walker is the nightmare of every black mother, that their son will be the victim somehow," said state Rep. Carolyn Hugley. "We are careful when we are training our young men before they drive a car. My son is 6-foot-2 and I had to talk to him about how he conducts himself. When you go to the mall with two or three of his friends, don't be surprised if you are followed. That is the reality of being an African-American male in our society."

• Douglas agrees. She has not let her son, Derek, a freshman football player at Tuskegee University, drive the family SUV since Walker's death.

"His hair is braided. He is a good kid," Douglas said.

• Bennie Newroth, government relations director for Columbus Regional Healthcare System, said black mothers have a special responsibility raising their sons.

"You know how, growing up, a mother teaches her child certain things, like tying the shoes and saying 'Yes, ma'am' and 'No ma'am?' " Newroth said. "In that socialization, we have to incorporate fear. That puts things off balance in doing so. When we heard the news of Kenny's death, every black mother who has sons became Emily Walker. We all said, 'Oh, my God, that could have been my son.' "

Law enforcement

The circumstances surrounding Walker's death and the lack of information, especially the Muscogee County Sheriff Department's reluctance to release of the name of the deputy who shot Walker, disturbed the community. In the wake of the shooting, some have called for Sheriff Ralph Johnson to resign.

• "We have to know exactly what happened," said Columbus Councilor Julius Hunter. "The only thing I know is a person was shot. The community needs to know. That is the only way we are going to put this behind us. It has to be a community-wide resolve. We are not going to allow people in law enforcement who conduct themselves in this way. We are not going to allow people to oversee and train them in that way."

• "It was like they were tried and convicted before they stopped them," said Reginald Pugh, executive director of the Urban League of Greater Columbus. "All I know is that is wrong. We all have a right to due process... . The officers involved were either ignorant of the rights or created havoc and put undue emotional stress on those involved... . The fact that they could not see his hand is not an excuse. That is not a reason to kill anybody."

• "The sheriff's response was too quick," Douglas said. "Why are they protecting the deputy sheriff? Nobody is going to go out and shoot this deputy. We just want justice done."

• "This is an opportunity to reopen the line of communication between police and this community," said state Sen. Ed Harbison.

Community

The reaction has sparked talk and action from some community leaders. Some blacks are disturbed by a perceived absence of more outrage from white citizens.

• "What I see in Columbus may be reflective of what I see in America," Force said. "I see a fear. But the other thing I see is really good people, people who are committed to making this town a cosmopolitan, urbane and humane community."

That said, Force makes another point.

"I feel a great sense of sadness for those in the white community who have not risen above social conformity," Force said. "And, a tremendous amount of respect for those who have transcended the obvious."

• "I can't say the white community is equally concerned, but it is concerned," Cavezza said. "The average white person can't fully understand the impact of this because they have not been through it... . The black leadership in this community is allowing the system to work. This community has made a lot of progress. This is a test of how far we have come."

• "This is a setback for us in this community," said Isaiah Hugley. "In my mind the African-American community has stepped up and is speaking out. The entire community should be concerned. And I believe the entire community is concerned. But the concern publicly seems to be expressed from one side -- the African-American community. That gives the appearance we are not in this together. That is not a positive message when you talk about one Columbus and unity."

• "I do know this: You can sense there is a real feeling of hurt," Hunter said. "Part of the reason for that hurt is some people believe the white community does not feel the pain and does not understand why this is so agonizing and hurtful. A human being lost his life last week. And the question is, why? It is almost like: 'Here we go again.' It happened before in Cincinnati. Now it is Columbus' turn. Part of it is people don't feel the white community fully understands."

• "The white community is just as outraged as the black community," said Columbus Councilor Nathan Suber. "Unfortunately, a lot of blacks are not talking to a lot of whites. I have a lot of white friends and they are just as outraged as I am. Just like the black community does not have all the answers, neither does the white community."

• "This is not only the blacks. A great many whites have spoken to me about this -- senior citizens, middle-aged folks, old money, new money," Mayor Bob Poydasheff said. "This is not a racial issue as such. The entire community is concerned and upset."

• "I think the reaction has been quite intelligent, instead of wild and reactionary," said retired Superior Court Judge Albert Thompson. "That is as it should be. If the investigation shows wrongdoing, then there is no excuse. They ought to be punished. I don't know who he is, but he ought to be treated like anyone else... . When you read about what has happened in the past -- riots and looting -- what has happened in Columbus is a patience and desire to straighten this out. Columbus comes out well. That should be rewarded with truth and prompt action to correct it."

• "I have talked to a lot of my black friends and white friends," said CB&T President and chairman of the Greater Columbus Chamber of Commerce Steve Melton. "It is almost like we don't know what to do."

The expectations

Leaders in the community have expectations once the questions are answered.

• "We have to make sure we fully understand what happened," Hunter said. "Second, as a community, we have to come together and resolve that this never happens again. We can't just say we are going to do things. One of the things we need to do is look and see how we conduct business in law enforcement. If there is a risk of life being lost, we may have to say no, it is not worth it. We cannot let this happen again."

• "We need to get the Justice Department and the FBI in here," Pugh said. "We need to do a thorough investigation and look at everything; Whether or not the task force followed policy and procedure. That is what led to him being killed."

• "All of us collectively have to come up with the solutions," Carolyn Hugley said. "The drug task force has to have more diversity. We have to decide when to put the public at risk. Do we put the entire motoring public at risk because we have four drug dealers?"

• "We need a resolution that is fair," Douglas said. "People know what is fair."

[AXEAM]

Thanks for the update Bruh I agree w/everything except the Mayor's comment about it not being a racial issue. The first step to curing any problem is to first admit that it exists.

[DoggyStyle82]

Originally posted by AXEAM
Thanks for the update Bruh I agree w/everything except the Mayor's comment about it not being a racial issue. The first step to curing any problem is to first admit that it exists.

Dear Friends and Family,

I am writing to make you aware of a senseless tragedy that is becoming to
familiar in this country. Another innocent, unarmed African American male was
brutally murdered by so called "law enforcement". The man who was slain was
named Kenneth B. Walker. This incident hits very close to home because Kenny
was
an extremely close friend.


Last Wednesday evening a local sheriff's special unit targeted 4 black men
riding in an expensive SUV as possible "drug suspects". The reality of the
matter is that every individual in that SUV was a college graduate, as well as
responsible citizen. These four innocent men were dragged from their vehicle
at
gun point, and forced to lay on the side of a major Interstate like animals.
Simultaneously one of the "John Wayne" sheriffs made a conscious decision to
shoot Kenny Walker in the front of the head twice, with a H&K MP5 assault
rifle. The coward who shot Kenny claimed that he made a "judgment call" because
he couldn't see Kenny's right hand. While Kenny lie dying on the side of the
road, the bastards knowing full well at this point that they had targeted the
wrong vehicle, still resented the other 3 gentlemen. They place them in 3
separate cars and held them in 3 separate cells. Furthermore, Kenny was shot at
9:00pm and his family was not notified until 1:30 am. They didn't even get a
chance to say their farewells, because he died before they arrived. Of course
they found no guns or contraband in the vehicle. 6 hours later they released
the other men. They gave the driver his keys and said, and I quote "you're
free to go, by the way your friend is dead".


Kenneth Walker was a loving husband, devoted father and responsible civic
oriented individual who was involved in the local community. Not only had Kenny
never been in trouble with law; when they pulled his record they couldn't even
find a speeding ticket! So what it amounts to is that if you are a black
male in this country, no matter how righteous, your life is subject to come down
to a "judgment call". To add insult to injustice, this tragedy is being
stonewalled and quietly swept under the rug by local government officials. From
what we understand, the entire incident was caught on tape. The Sheriff's
Department is refusing to release the tape, which is a matter of public record
under
the "Freedom of Information" Act. Columbus is a small town. The "Good Old
Boy" network is very much alive here and the longer they hold the tape, the more
likely it will be altered or disappear all together (remember the 90 seconds
missing from the Cincinnati tape). If this had happened in a major city it
would have gained national attention by now. This is where we need your help.
Pass this email along to as many people as possible and contact the following
news networks about this case. www.cnn.com; www.bet.com; www.abcnews.com;
www.cbsnews.com.

[ladygreek]

Ya know, the more I hear about this the angrier I get. Shot IN THE FRONT OF THE HEAD--TWICE!!!! Write your cards and letters folx.

[ladygreek]

This tragedy is really making the rounds on message boards. Hopefully constuctive action will come out of it. Doggy, I just heard that Kenneth's wife and mother are sorors in the Columbus (GA) chapter. Do you know if this is true?

[DoggyStyle82]

Originally posted by ladygreek
This tragedy is really making the rounds on message boards. Hopefully constuctive action will come out of it. Doggy, I just heard that Kenneth's wife and mother are sorors in the Columbus (GA) chapter. Do you know if this is true?

The Deltas up this way haven't mentioned it, nor have the Bruhs that went to the funeral service. I'll ask one of the attendees and let you know. There was another nice article on Kenneth and his family in another paper. It has a nice picture of him and his beautiful family.

http://www.sacobserver.com/news/0112...h_walker.shtml

[MeezDiscreet]

Originally posted by DoggyStyle82

Last Wednesday evening a local sheriff's special unit targeted 4 black men
riding in an expensive SUV as possible "drug suspects". The reality of the
matter is that every individual in that SUV was a college graduate, as well as
responsible citizen. These four innocent men were dragged from their vehicle
at
gun point, and forced to lay on the side of a major Interstate like animals.
Simultaneously one of the "John Wayne" sheriffs made a conscious decision to
shoot Kenny Walker in the front of the head twice, with a H&K MP5 assault
rifle. The coward who shot Kenny claimed that he made a "judgment call" because
he couldn't see Kenny's right hand. While Kenny lie dying on the side of the
road, the bastards knowing full well at this point that they had targeted the
wrong vehicle, still resented the other 3 gentlemen. They place them in 3
separate cars and held them in 3 separate cells. Furthermore, Kenny was shot at
9:00pm and his family was not notified until 1:30 am. They didn't even get a
chance to say their farewells, because he died before they arrived. Of course
they found no guns or contraband in the vehicle. 6 hours later they released
the other men. They gave the driver his keys and said, and I quote "you're
free to go, by the way your friend is dead".
[/url]

i've been so busy that i'm just hearing about this tradgedy and it actually made me cry. not just because he is frat but because this is just the one we heard about. it is a scary thought to have to be afraid of the police...

[ladygreek]

I just verified through our national president that indeed Kenneth's widow and mother are Sorors. Our prez. met with them 2 weeks ago and they told her the could not get an info released to them from the police. Using her conncections, she was able to get WIllie Gary to represent the family. This is not going to die. Justice will be served!!!!!

[AXEAM]

THANK GOD FOR DELTAS

[DoggyStyle82]

Originally posted by ladygreek
I just verified through our national president that indeed Kenneth's widow and mother are Sorors. Our prez. met with them 2 weeks ago and they told her the could not get an info released to them from the police. Using her conncections, she was able to get WIllie Gary to represent the family. This is not going to die. Justice will be served!!!!!

Good looking out LadyGreek. Willie Gary is also very close to our Grand Basileus. I was going to post the remarks that the Sheriff finally gave of his investigation, but it is an exercise in futility as it makes no sense. Sounded like a bad episode of The Wire.

http://www.wtvm.com/Global/story.asp...3&nav=8faoKFDE

The Sheriffs story makes no sense.

[ladygreek]

Originally posted by DoggyStyle82
Good looking out LadyGreek. Willie Gary is also very close to our Grand Basileus. I was going to post the remarks that the Sheriff finally gave of his investigation, but it is an exercise in futility as it makes no sense. Sounded like a bad episode of The Wire.

http://www.wtvm.com/Global/story.asp...3&nav=8faoKFDE

The Sheriffs story makes no sense.

Well I bet that your Grand Basileus played a dominant role in getting Willie Gary. I'm just glad that our orgs are stepping up to the plate with this.

Not sure why, but this situation is the "straw that broke the camel's back" for me. I am feeling it very deeply. I am going to Delta Days in the Nation's Capital in a couple of weeks and you'd better believe when I meet with my Senators we are going to have a discussion about racial profiling and police brutality.

[DoggyStyle82]

Omega Psi Phi, Rainbow PUSH and Black Elected Officials in the state of Georgia held a rally Friday at the West End Mall in Atlanta to protest and raise awareness of the police brutality murder of our good Brother, Kenny. We are on our way to turning this into a national protest.

[AXEAM]

Thanks for the update bruh, continue to stand on the third card.