This past week in South Carolina, Chikei Rick Chow was acquitted from murder charges regarding a 14 year old black teenager by the name of Cyrus Carmack-Belton. The fatal shooting occurred in 2023, after Chow, who is a store owner and his son chased the teen outside their store subsequent to an accusation of stealing. My understanding is these men chased Cyrus more than 100 yards away from the establishment. Additionally, it has been reported either the murder or chase (perhaps both?) was captured on video.
Chow shot the Cyrus in the back as he fled from the storeowner after a confrontation about some water products. The storeowner later admitted he was mistaken about four bottles of water he presumed Cyrus had stolen. Now tell me this. Where is the threat of eminent danger to Chow 100 yards away the store as this teen runs for his very life while these two men chase him? Why did Chow not remain in the store and call the police over suspected shoplifting? Chow does not seem like a man concerned for his personal safety as he fires bullets into a teenager's back who is obviously running from him. Bullshit.
Once again, like a relentless merry-go-round an innocent black person, a child, has been murdered with existing video evidence and the killer gets off the hook. This is what America is like for black people, and God only knows how many murdered black people lie in graves we do not even know about. Consider this past week (a little over a week ago), in Minnesota, Republican lawmakers took a moment to commemorate George Floyd's killer, Derick Chauvin-- the police officer convicted of murdering him. You see, all of these events are connected to living in a white supremacist nation.
But let me say, if this had been a white child, Asian child, or a child of another race, this same scenario would also be egregious! The boy was shot in the back, running away from Chow and his son! We are a violent nation, essentially without gun control, and with a police force which thinks its above the law. Just like our current thug-in-chief president, Donald J. Trump. However, I am for the right to bear arms, but I believe there must be regulations put forth to mitigate damage from people who abuse this right. Needless to say, Cyrus Carmack-Belton's family is devastated by the jury's verdict, and they intend to sue the store owner who killed their son.
Cyrus Carmack-Belton life is worth more than four bottles of water, but the United States doesn't seem to think so. And what makes this additionally tragic, Cyrus had no intention of stealing anything. But if Cyrus or any other child, man or woman had actually stolen 4 bottles of water from a store, is it legitimate cause to chase that person from the store into the streets and then kill them by firing bullets into their back? Racism in this country is a very dangerous thing, and our climate of white supremacy has always declared "open season" on black Americans. But since 2016, the cry to restore America back to the Civil War era has erupted; and in an effort to make "America Great Again", it has become exponentially worse for black people in this country. The steps by the Trump administration, MAGA and Republican Party are targeted, deliberate steps to diminish the power of minorities in every facet of their lives. Racism, unchecked, will result in even more tragedies such in the case of Cyrus.
