Slain Black Missouri man's family calls for coroner's ouster

BOURBON (AP) -- The family of a Black Missouri man killed by his neighbor has called for the resignation of the county coroner over his handling of the case, as well as his social media posts they describe as racist.

Rod Chapel, a lawyer for Justin King's family and president of the Missouri NAACP, in a letter Wednesday to multiple state coroner oversight boards described Crawford County Coroner Darren Dake's social media posts as "overtly racist and dehumanizing."

King, 28, was fatally shot by a neighbor Nov. 3 in a trailer park in Bourbon, a town of 1,600 residents about 75 miles southwest of St. Louis.

A coroner's inquest and Crawford County Prosecuting Attorney David S. Smith agreed the shooter killed King in self-defense. But King's family, civil rights leaders and other neighbors have questioned why the shooter wasn't charged.

Read more: https://www.newstribune.com/news/2022/feb/05/slain-black-missouri-mans-family-calls-for/
( Jefferson City News Tribune)