Just before the family of the late VonDerrit Myers Jr. and supporters began their vigil at about 7 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 8, the group was caught in the middle of a violent shoot out. Three people were injured and taken to the hospital, according to the police incident summary.
On Oct. 8, 2014, Myers was shot and killed by an off-duty St. Louis city police officer, Jason Flanery, who is no longer with the department. Myers’ death came two months after Michael Brown Jr.’s shooting death in Ferguson at the hands of a police officer, and it led to protests throughout South Louis city. Both Myers and Brown were 18.
Just like last year, loved ones and community members gathered to honor Myers’ life at the corner of Klemm Street and Shaw Boulevard in South city – right outside of Shaw Market.
Before the program began, an argument ensued amongst unknown parties on Klemm, between Shaw and Castleman Avenue. One person fired a shot, and then several others opened fired in response, according to a driver who was turning onto Klemm as the gunfire started. The car was struck several times, but the driver was uninjured. According to the incident report, two black males, ages 20 and 28, were shot in the leg, and a 21-year-old black male sustained a graze wound to the leg. All three victims were taken to the hospital where they were treated and listed as stable. Police are looking for two suspects both black males between 25-30 years old.
Witnesses said Police Chief Sam Dotson arrived minutes after the shooting occurred, and other officers quickly began taping off the blocks on Klemm and Castleman. By 9 p.m., it appeared by the evidence markers that police had found more than 58 case shellings.
That night, the St. Louis American requested comment from police and was denied. Dotson has not yet responded to the American’s request for comment.
Witnesses said that Myers’ mother and father, along with dozens of others, were immediately caught in the middle of the violence but were able to run to safety. Several people were injured, but most fled the scene without seeking medical attention, they said.
“Tonight was really unfortunate because there is a family who is continually grieving the loss of their only son and they had to be exposed to this level of trauma,” said Kayla Reed, a Ferguson activist who arrived at the vigil just after the shots were fired.
Bruce Franks Jr., the Democratic nominee in the November election for state representative of the 78th District, said he heard the shots as he was driving up to the vigil.
“We talk about Post-traumatic Stress Disorder,” Franks said. “This is a trigger right here. This looks almost exactly like the scene (in 2014), and that’s not okay for the family, for the friends, for the neighborhood – especially the mother and father who have been through so much.”
The family prayed briefly outside the yellow crime-scene tape before leaving at around 8:30 p.m.
The circuit attorney’s investigation revealed civilian eyewitnesses that Flanery killed Myers during a shootout, and ballistic evidence recovered by police matched this testimony. In a subsequent incident, Flanery wrecked his police cruiser and fled the scene of the incident. His blood, drawn through a search warrant, revealed alcohol and cocaine. He resigned from the department.
“The reality is we’re here because an officer killed a boy two years ago, and that officer is still not in jail,” Reed said. “This is a byproduct of a system’s failure to hold people accountable and to preserve black life.”
