Unfortunately, another family is demanding justice after their loved one’s life was taken at the hands of law enforcement. According to WBALTV11, 18-year-old Baltimore native Donnell Rochester was fatally shot by the police on February 19th, and the details surrounding his death are unsettling. Reports show that the deadly incident occurred when police officers on patrol in northeast Baltimore found a car registered to Donnell.

During the incident, officers approached the car and exited their vehicle attempting to stop Donnell due to an open warrant against him related to an armed carjacking case. While police body camera footage showed officers firing at the car, it’s unclear whether Donnell drove toward officers, as they claim. Besides that, it is also unclear what happened before the officers fired their weapons.

Donnell’s family isn’t buying the officer’s accounts of what happened and wants them to be held accountable. Markai Jackson, Donnell’s aunt, spoke out about her nephew’s passing stating, “He’s supposed to still be here, and it’s not fair.” His cousin, Shanika Jackson, added, “It’s innocent until you’re proven guilty. Don’t forget that. So, you can’t even charge him with anything because he wasn’t even proven guilty of anything. He shouldn’t have died like that, period.”

The family has been holding protests outside of the Baltimore police headquarters. Yesterday, attendees were chanting, “No justice, no peace.” Today the family was back outside protesting and live-streamed the event on Instagram. Currently, the two officers involved in the shooting, Officer Robert Mauri and Officer Connor Murray, have been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation. The Maryland Attorney General’s Office Independent Investigations Division is looking to investigate the case per state law.

Baltimore police released a statement, saying, “The Baltimore Police Department was aware of the scheduled protest this morning at our headquarters and will continue to support individuals’ rights to peacefully protest in Baltimore.”

No further information is available, as the investigation is still ongoing. But we’ll keep y’all updated as the story develops, Roomies!

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