Next rally planned for June 26 at Duval County courthouse

Jacksonville, FL – Over a month has passed since two Jacksonville Sherriff’s Office (JSO) officers shot and killed 28-year-old D'Angelo Stallworth outside his apartment. The African American father of three was shot six times in the back by two white police officers, who claimed that they thought D'Angelo looked suspicious. Although Stallworth was unarmed at the time of the shooting, State Attorney Angela Corey has still not indicted the two officers for murder.

The family and friends of D'Angelo Stallworth hope to change that. Since the murder on May 12, family members and close friends have organized rallies, vigils and marches to win 'Justice for Dee.' Earlier in June, a crowd of over 100 people marched on the JSO building and Angela Corey's office in downtown Jacksonville to demand justice.

'Extremely successful' block party for D'Angelo

Most recently on June 13, several hundred people attended a block party hosted by D'Angelo Stallworth’s family and friends. The afternoon block party took place at Wesconnett Park and raised funds for D'Angelo's three children.

Throughout the day, hundreds of people from across Jacksonville flocked to the park to honor Stallworth’s memory. Several coworkers from UPS, where Stallworth worked as a part-time supervisor, came out to show their support. Many people wore t-shirts with the slogans 'Justice for D'Angelo Stallworth,' and '#Justice4Dee.'

“We raised $3200 cash,” said Brandon Brown, one of Stallworth’s best friends and a main organizer in the movement to win justice. “It was extremely successful.”

Another rally to win justice for D'Angelo is scheduled for June 26 at 12:00 noon outside the Duval County courthouse. Rally organizers say that the purpose is to continue putting pressure on State Attorney Angela Corey to indict the two killer cops.

Autopsy suggests that police 'executed' Stallworth

On May 12, D'Angelo Stallworth was murdered by two JSO officers outside his apartment on the west side of Jacksonville. Police were at the complex serving an eviction notice unrelated to Stallworth. The officers began a confrontation, claiming they thought he appeared suspicious, which ended with six shots that left Stallworth dead.

An independent autopsy ordered by friends and family indicated that the fatal shots fired by the officers came from above and behind. In other words, the police essentially executed Stallworth, who was unarmed at the time of the shooting, as he fled down the apartment stairs.

State Attorney Angela Corey's silence on D'Angelo Stallworth's murder

Many people are skeptical that Corey will give into the people's demands, even in light of the autopsy, because of her close relationship with the police. When she initially won the office of State Attorney in 2008, Corey was endorsed by the Jacksonville Fraternal Order of Police. In pure campaign donations alone, at least 10% of the $534,507.75 she raised came from police officers or their families in 2008, according to research by the Jacksonville Progressive Coalition (JPC) and records from the Florida Division of Elections.

Further questions of Corey's commitment to justice for Black victims arise in light of her record of mass incarceration. In Florida, Corey's 4th Judicial Circuit leads the state in the incarceration of juveniles, particularly African Americans. From 2006 to 2011, Black males comprised 70% of all juvenile offenders that Corey's office tried as adults, while white males comprised just 18%.

Corey's inaction on D'Angelo's murder thus far follows a pattern of biased and racist prosecution practices. In 2013, Corey gained national notoriety for her botched handling of the George Zimmerman murder trial, which allowed the racist vigilante to walk free after murdering 17-year- old African American Trayvon Martin.

On the other hand, Corey obsessively persecuted Marissa Alexander, the African American mother who fired a warning shot to defend herself from domestic abuse, for nearly three years. A mass movement of people around the country forced Corey to offer Alexander a plea deal that included only a few months of jail time, versus the 60-year prison sentence she originally sought.

D'Angelo Stallworth’s family and friends, along with activists in Jacksonville, are building for the June 26 rally in hopes of putting pressure on Corey.

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