Guest Columnist Jamala Rogers
As I tried to enter the murder trial of Kevin Johnson last week, a County police officer blocked the door, telling me I couldn’t go in until either a seat became available or when there was a pause in the proceedings.
I waited patiently until there was a pause and then attempted to get in, when I was told that there were no seats.
“I see a seat over there.” I pointed to the left side of the courtroom.
“That’s for the McEntee family.”
“How do you know I’m not a family member?”
Then came the cop’s red face.
The racial dynamics surrounding the Kevin Johnson case are part of a cascading tragedy. Last week, in a second trial, a predominantly white jury found 22-year-old Johnson guilty of first degree murder for the fatal shooting of Kirkwood Sergeant William McEntee. They summarily sentenced him to death.
St. Louis County Prosecutor Bob McCullough prosecuted the case. Many felt that McCullough should have recused himself. His police officer father was killed in the line of duty by a person with the same racial identity as Kevin Johnson. That made this case very personal.
McEntee was nicknamed Big Mac, not merely because of his size but because of his bullying tactics. But black residents were not the only ones who were victims. It turns out that it was a young white male who defaced the McEntee memorial with paint, one of several acts of vandalism since the structure was erected a year after the incident. It seems that everyone didn’t have the same rosy perception of McEntee that his family and fellow officers had.
Unlike the prosecution’s side, supporters for Kevin were racially diverse. Like Kevin’s neighbors, they were shocked to hear that he had been accused of the officer’s murder. He has consistently been described as quiet and polite, a good kid from a troubled background.
About a dozen character witnesses were called in the sentencing phase of the murder trial. They included respected members of the Kirkwood-Meacham community. People like Terron Coleman, Kevin’s counselor at Father Dunn’s Group Home. People like Ed and Romona Miller. Ed has known Kevin’s family for years. Romona was his teacher at Kirkwood High. She is now an assistant principal there and was a 2007 recipient of the St. Louis American’s esteemed Excellence in Education Award. All three told me there was no hesitation to testify on Kevin’s behalf.
Back in Meacham Park, there are those who believe McEntee is responsible for the death of 12-year-old Joseph “Bam Bam” Long, Kevin’s younger brother. McEntee was alleged to have chased him home after confiscating fireworks from him. In this close-knit community, it was known that Long had a heart condition. He collapsed in his home but received no medical attention from McEntee or other officers at the scene. Family members were not allowed to help their loved one as they were ordered out of the house. Kevin testified at trial that he snapped in the face of McEntee’s callous indifference.
Back in Meacham Park, police presence was pumped up after the guilty verdict came down. They feared unrest by its black residents. Strained relations historically exist between the one of oldest African-American communities in the metropolitan area and the neighboring white Kirkwood. The hostilities between black folks and the police department are always simmering beneath the surface.
Back in Meacham Park, some wondered out loud if Kirkwood police could have found young kidnapped Shawn Hornbeck if they weren’t so busy terrorizing their neighborhood.
Back in Meacham Park, residents believe that Kevin Johnson got a bad deal. His death sentence is the wick in a time bomb ticking in Meacham Park.