A Black man was shot and killed by law enforcement authorities in the aftermath of a gathering against police brutality in Louisville on Monday morning.
David McAtee, 53, the owner of YaYa’s BBQ in western Louisville, was amongst a crowd of people gathered in a parking lot outside of a food mart that was next door to McAtee’s barbecue business, officials told the Louisville Courier Journal.
Louisville police and National Guard personnel were breaking up the gathering when they were allegedly shot at by an unknown assailant. The officers reportedly returned fire, striking and killing McAtee.
McAtee’s body was still at the scene of the shooting Monday afternoon, laying in the street for more than 12 hours, according to WLKY’s Stephon Dingle. The shooting has caused an uproar and protesting within the community.
Louisville Metro Police Chief Steve Conrad was fired Monday evening, according to WLKY reporter Drew Gardner. Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer told WLKY that the authorities involved in the shooting did not have their body cameras activated.
“This type of institutional failure will not be tolerated,” Fischer said per Courier Journal.
Mayor Greg Fischer consoling the family of David McAtee. pic.twitter.com/62Iahv8Dtp
— Dominique Yates (@RealDYates) June 1, 2020
McAtee was described by those who knew him as a giving, selfless man who helped others. His mother, Odessa Riley, called him a “community pillar.”
“He left a great legend behind. He was a good person. Everybody around him would say that,” she told the Journal. “My son didn’t hurt nobody. He didn’t do nothing to nobody. My son was a good son. 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.”
Metro Council President David James said that McAtee was invested in the neighborhood, often volunteering for community service and offering free food to the community. According to his mother, he also offered free food to police officers.
“He’s just a good, decent person,” James said. “He believes in this neighborhood. He loves his city, loves his neighborhood, loves to cook food, loves to keep people happy with his sense of humor. He’s just a great guy.”
“He fed them free,” Riley added. “He fed the police and didn’t charge them nothing.
A powerful moment happened on 26th and Broadway when family went to see the body of David McAtee.
The crowd was silent, except for one woman. pic.twitter.com/cUNyQuLTX5— Dominique Yates (@RealDYates) June 1, 2020
McAtee had returned to Louisville after living in Atlanta for eight years, according to the Journal. He had to hoped to expand on his business and eventually open a brick-and-mortar restaurant.
“I’ve been doing this for about 30 years, but I’ve been here for two,” he told West of Ninth, a photo blog by Walt and Marshae Smith, in February. “This location is the one of the busiest locations in west Louisville. I always wanted to be in this spot, and when the opportunity came, I took it.”
He continued, “I gotta start somewhere, and this is where I’m going to start. It might take another year or two to get to where I’m going, but I’m going to get there.”
The shooting, which is being investigated by state and local police officials, comes amid nationwide civil unrest over the killings of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor.