Unless you haven’t been on social media or watched the news lately, you have heard about this case. An off-duty Cook County Sheriff’s officer shot and killed a teenage boy who tried to rob him at gun point while pumping gas at a Citgo gas station on the southside of Chicago.

The incident happened at a Citgo gas station near 103rd Street and Cottage Grove in the Pullman neighborhood around 10pm. The officer was pumping his gas when he was approached by three teenagers. One of them pulled a gun as they asked for his wallet.

The officer gave up his wallet as asked. The other two thieves took the opportunity to go through the officer’s car for more goodies.

While all of this was going on, the officer reached into his back pocket and pulled out a gun of his own. Once the weapon was raised, he shot the gun wielding teen in the head and killed him. The other two suspects ran away with his wallet.

According to CBS 2, the teen killed was 16 year old Deonta Dewight Mackey.

CBS 2’s Suzanne Le Mignot talked to a man who says he knows Dewight. He agreed to speak with us if we concealed his identity.

“It’s shocking to see somebody that you know, actually do something like that,” he said.

The two other suspects fled the scene with the sergeant’s wallet. Police have not caught them, as of early Monday.

Those pumping gas at this Pullman Citgo on 103rd near Cottage, were very outspoken about the shooting.

“They should be in bed at 10 o’clock at night. I would do the same thing. You know what I’m saying? It just needs to stop. We work hard for our money. To get anybody to take anything from us. That’s ridiculous,” said gas station customer Tamekia Kelly.

Source: http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2014/02/11/police-off-duty-sheriffs-officer-kills-robber-at-gas-station/

I have a Few Concerns With This Case

First, why did the officer have to shoot the young man in the head?

Isn’t he a trained professional who knows the difference between a kill shot and wounding shot? I believe they have been trained in the difference. Had he been a civilian, then I would understand the panic and just trying to make it home for the night. But he wasn’t civilian. He was a trained professional. He had options.

Secondly, where the hell is the compassion from the public?

This is the most outrageous part of this case to me. Scrolling through my Social media feeds, all I see are status updates about this case with harsh words like, “That’s what he gets”, “Stop trying to rob folks”, “He got what he deserved”, and “That will teach you not to be running up on people trying to rob them.”

I understand we are fed up with shooting and violence in the black community, but we are talking about human being, a child at that. Where is the compassion people?

Obviously, the young man had issues. Have we forgotten poverty demoralizes in more ways than one? Are you that far removed from the “Hood” that you don’t remember any more?

This young man was failed in a lot of ways. Clearly he didn’t have the best role models growing up. I question was his father in his life. And if so, was he worth a damn? What about his mother? The extended family? The community?

True, this young man shouldn’t be running around the Southside or any side of any city waving a gun trying to rob people, but damn. Maybe this is an opportunity for us to take a look at ourselves, find some compassion, and get back into our communities so no more Deonta Dewight Mackey’s have to die at the hands of people protecting themselves that just want to go home to their families.

Maybe it is our time to do some self-reflecting as a society.

What do you think?