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Jemel Roberson wore a cap and a sweatshirt wearing the word "safety" when he was shot by a Mildothian policeman while an armed Roberson was trying to restrain a suspect early Sunday in a bar of the Robbins, a colleague of the dead man said to the Tribune.
Dorian Myrickes, 43, who was injured during the chaotic incident at the bar, also said that the Midlothian officer had warned Roberson to drop his gun, but had shot him in 5 seconds to come.
Myrickes, who spoke Thursday morning of a suburban hospital bed, said another officer present at the scene had berated the Midlothian policeman after the murder of Roberson.
"A policeman," he said, "you did not have to do that, you did not have to do that. We know these guys. We told you that they are safety, "said Myrickes, who said he was about to lose consciousness after being hurt when he heard this statement.
Myrickes also said that Roberson had initially sought the help of Midlothian's officer to help him control a suspect following a shootout that had brought several police officers to the scene.
Myrickes' description of what Roberson was wearing differs from the details of a preliminary investigation by the Illinois state police that Roberson wore "black and plain clothes without any marks whatsoever". easily identifying as a security guard ".
Myrickes' story also differs on an aspect of what he had said previously to The Associated Press. The AP reported that Myrickes had never heard the officer tell Roberson to drop his weapon. In a later interview with the Tribune, Myrickes said he heard the officer command Roberson to drop his gun before shooting him a few seconds later.
State police, relying on witness statements, said Roberson had been repeatedly ordered to drop his gun.
Myrickes' narrative feeds the controversy over the murder of Roberson, who is black, by the white officer Midlothian and has since been on leave. The shooting took place as the officer and police reacted to a shot at the Manny's Blue Room Lounge on Claire Boulevard in Robbins.
In his interview with Tribune, Myrickes said he and Roberson were part of the security team of six people working at Manny's on Saturday night and Sunday morning. Myrickes stated that he and Roberson were initially unmanned as an in-house crew, but that he believed that Roberson had either the suspect's weapon or his own after being shot by the officer.
He stated that a brawl had broken out between two groups of men and that Roberson and he were trying to dispel the situation.
"So we sent four people to the front door, and we were trying to get eight people out the side door," Myrickes said from her hospital room. "They became very aggressive and began to threaten our lives. We get them out of the door, we tell them we're going to make sure their people are safe, we do not want to hurt them, we just have to break the altercation.
"The next thing you know, one of the guys took out a gun and started firing," Myrickes said, adding that security guards working outside the club ensured that male clients were fine. "tapped" before entering the bar. He said he believed the shooter had either concealed a firearm on the outside or that someone from outside had sent it to him.
Myrickes said Roberson and he were the door but stayed inside the moment the shooting started. But before she could close the door, Myrickes said, a second person started firing.
"At that time, I did not even know that I had been hit, I stumbled and fell," he said, adding that a young woman had told him said to get up or that he was going to die.
Myrickes said that he could hear someone from the group of men who had started firing shouting, "Go get the blitz," which meant that they wanted to have a longer gun. big to come back.
"Everyone started to panic, running in different directions," said Myrickes. "I fell through the doorway. It was when I met the police officer (Midlothian) who had the AR-15, and he pointed at his head, he said, "Raise your hands in the air" .
Myrickes said he told the officer that he was a security guard and that he was not to shoot him.
"He comes, puts the flashlight in my face and says," You've been touched, "said Myrickes," He pulled my sweatshirt back and said I'd been touched with a gun.He was so aggressive and I said, "Let me go back to the club and warn them that a policeman arrives with a gun."
"He passes me in front of me so quickly – I'm back in the club," and he jumps on the bar, points his gun at the bartender, shouting, "Go to the ground!"
Myrickes said that there were already other officers in the bar at that time, but that none of them was helping Roberson with the suspect following the gunfire that he was holding under the threat of a ground revolver in the lobby, just off the side door.
"He was screaming (at Roberson's) to drop his gun," Myrickes said. Jemel said, "I am security. You have to handcuff that guy and control him. "We do not want the guy to turn around and take Jemel's weapon."
Myrickes said that since the time the officer ordered Roberson to drop the gun until the moment he fired, the first shot was "not even 5 seconds".
"The first shot goes into Roberson's leg," Myrickes said. "(The officer) passes the gun through the bar, everyone says," Whoa, whoa, "then (the officer) fires again (Roberson) I saw Jemel get hit second time in the side. "
Myrickes said that he had then begun to faint, but had heard another officer in the bar reprimand the officer who had shot Roberson.
"A cop, a black cop with glasses," he said, "Dude, you did not have to do that. You did not have to do that. We know these guys. We told you it was safety.
Myrickes said he did not recognize the officer who opened the fire or the cop who reprimanded him.
Myrickes said that none of the Midlothian or Robbins officers at the scene had provided first aid to him or Roberson.
Myrickes said he did not recognize the Midlothian officer who shot Roberson.
"He was not the only policeman on the scene, but he was the only one to have an AR," Myrickes said. "No other policeman saw his gun fired."
Official sources did not discuss many aspects of Myrickes' story, including the number of officers on the scene, whether other weapons had been fired, and whether another officer had administered Officer Midlothian for shooting at Roberson. State police announced Wednesday that she did not intend to disclose any other information at that time.
The Cook County Medical Examiner's Office confirmed Roberson's death following multiple gunshot wounds.
Myrickes said that he thought that the man that Roberson was submitting was one of the men who had opened fire on them, but he did not know whether the gun to The fire that Roberson was holding was his or he had been removed to the shooter.
"Jemel and I were not armed that night," he says. "Jemel leaves his bulletproof vest and his weapon in the car. We were inside. I do not know if it was the offender's weapon. We all park in the parking lot near the back door. Jemel may have had time to get his gun in his car when the fight started. He did everything right. He did not deserve to be shot. "
Myrickes said he and Roberson had worked together for a long time at the club.
"He was a nice giant," Myrickes said. "He always said sir or madam. Even if he was knocking someone out, he always said, "Hey, go home, sober and come back and party with us the next day." He's never been disrespectful. "
Myrickes said that he had received two bullets in the shoulder and that one of his lungs had collapsed. He added that doctors were considering surgery to repair the lung.
His emotion stifled when he remembered hearing that Roberson was dead.
"My brother came Monday in the room (from the hospital) and told me," he said. "I was hurt, man. The guy was 26 years old. This guy was trying to do everything right.
Twitter @ mattwalberg1
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