A jury gave the family of Gregory Vaughn Hill Jr., a black man killed by St. Lucie County sheriff’s deputy Christopher Newman just four cents after they found he was 99 percent negligent in his death. Newman shot Hill, accused of brandishing a handgun, through a garage door. I started my blog after the story of Travon Martin being shot because of the color of his skin and the fact that he was wearing a hoodie. George Zimmerman who went to trial for the murder of Travon was found not guilty by a jury of his peers.
Mr. Hill was shot dead by the police who responded to a complaint of loud music coming from his residence by a neighbor. After contacting Mr. Hill they said he had a gun at which time the deceased closed his garage door. The officer then fired through the door hitting Mr. Hill three times once in the head and twice in the chest. Police said they found an unloaded pistol in his back pocket. That is another story altogether. Hill’s family filed a wrongful-death lawsuit in 2016. The jury first gave the family four dollars and then changed it to four cents. Juries by offering any compensation to the family members left behind are saying in this case as in so many cases in the past that are related to race. “Black lives don’t matter.” That is a fact that this verdict shows to the world. When it comes to racial respect and equality we have a long way to go as a multi-cultural society.
