Justice for Kionte Coalition continues calls for transparency following DOJ investigation

ROANOKE (WSLS 10) - A group in Roanoke says it is still fighting to hold the Roanoke County Police Department accountable for the death of 18-year-old Kionte Spencer, who was shot and killed by police last February.

This comes after the Department of Justice determined last month there was not enough evidence to prove that officers were in the wrong.

Members of the Coalition said they want what they've been asking for since Spencer's death, which is for the Roanoke County Police to release the unedited dash camera video of the incident and for the officers involved to be named, and Saturday, the group was joined by several other activists from around the state to voice that opinion.

One of those was Pastor Reginald Early, of Randolph Street United Methodist Church, who traveled from Lexington.

"As an African American male, what happened to Kionte could easily happen to me," said Early.

Kionte Spencer was shot while walking down a stretch of Electric Road in Roanoke County, holding a BB gun.

Police said they asked him to drop what they believed was an actual handgun, but he refused, and they attempted to use a taser.

Both an internal and independent investigation by the Department of Justice discovered no evidence of wrongdoing.

The Coalition said the result was disappointing, but not surprising.

"We weren't necessarily expecting our demands to happen because they also haven't necessarily happened for many people across the country. No police have been charged with murder for any of the police killings last year, and there was over a thousand," said rally organizer Jason Lambert.

People shared their stories of encounters with the police.

Theresa Walker, who lives in Roanoke, said between the ages of 16 and 18, her son was stopped by police 18 times while walking in her neighborhood.

"I started to teach my son at four years old what to do when you're pulled over by the police. When I'd get pulled over, he'd see how I reacted and I would discuss it with him... If he had been pulled over in the county, I don't know if he'd still be here, because this young man was just walking down the street and now he's gone, which is what my son was doing," said Walker.

With no other legal route to take, the Coalition said it plans to continue to solicit support from people in the Roanoke community and around the state.

Early said, he and many others will continue to offer support.

"If we are genuinely concerned about justice issues, we need to speak up and speak out," said Early.

Early is actually one of the organizers of a parade honoring Martin Luther King that will take place next month to replace a traditional parade held by the Sons of Confederate Veterans honoring Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson.

The Justice for Kionte Coalition says it plans to support Early's efforts as it continues to fight for what members believe is racial justice.