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Owner of Barbecue Business Shot, Killed by Police and National Guard in Kentucky

 

Update – June 1, 2020, 5:30 p.m.: Police Chief Steve Conrad was fired after it turned out cops didn’t have their body cameras on.

Our original article is below.

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A man in Louisville, Kentucky was shot and killed by police and National Guard early Monday morning. He was identified by his nephew as David McAtee, 53, according to The Courier Journal.

Police Chief Steve Conrad said that that the shooting happened early Monday morning at about 12:15 a.m. at Dino’s Food Mart, according to a statement to Law&Crime. Officers and National Guard were trying to break up a large crowd, when shots were fired at law enforcement, Conrad said.

From the statement:

Around 12:15 a.m., LMPD and National Guard units, who have been working to assist LMPD with the protest, were sent to Dino’s Foodmart at 26th and Broadway to clear a large crowd. LMPD had been monitoring large crowds all night, and this was one of the last ones.

As they began work to clear the lot, shots were fired at the officers and Guard. Both LMPD and National Guard members returned fire.

One person was dead at the scene. The coroner has not yet identified the victim.

Conrad said that police will be interviewing persons of interest, and are collecting body cam footage.

McAtee ran a barbecue business in the West End neighborhood. He was well known and engaged in the community.

“Mr. McAtee would help us with Californian Day for at least 15 years if not longer,” Greg Cotton Jr. told the Courier Journal. “He was one of the ones who would donate all his time and all his food, everybody could just come up and take it and he wouldn’t charge because it was for the neighborhood.”

McAtee’s mother said that he gave law enforcement free meals in the past.

“My son was a good son,” Odessa Riley said. “All he did on that barbecue corner is try to make a dollar for himself and his family. And they come along and they killed my son.”

[Screengrab via WAVE 3]

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