Family members, friends, and supporters of Njang organized the action, and another five days earlier of 100 protesters at the same police station.

Njang, 25, a recent immigrant from Cameroon, was shot once in the chest at arms length by Montgomery County police officer Candice Marchone shortly before noon, August 12, in front of his sister’s apartment. He was flown by helicopter to a trauma unit in Washington, D.C., where he was pronounced dead.

“Black, white, same justice,” “No taxes for murder,” and “No to police brutality!” chanted the demonstrators. “Montgomery County police took away Peter’s citizenship rights,” read one placard.

“What has happened here, is what I hear and see on radio and TV,” said demonstration organizer and family spokesperson Julius Oben at the August 16 rally. “I never paid attention. It has landed home. It could have been any one of us. Peter is gone.”

A Washington Post article repeated the police story that Njang failed to obey Marchone’s orders to halt and lunged at her with a utility knife before she shot him in the chest at close range.

Organizers called on demonstrators to return to where Njang was killed to see the layout of the scene, stating they do not see how the cop could be in danger by the approaching Njang in broad daylight.

A neighbor, Carlos Méndez, witnessed the shooting. He told these reporters that he did not see a weapon in Njang’s hand. Instead, Méndez said, he saw Njang reaching into his back pocket, probably to pull out his wallet. Méndez also said that Marchone did not administer medical aid, as all the news reports are claiming, but ran off crying after dropping her gun belt.

Other witnesses noted that they saw Njang in front of the ground floor apartment waiting for his sister to go job hunting. Relatives stated that Njang had won a visa lottery and arrived in the United States May 14.

At 8:00 p.m. every evening since the shooting family, friends, and residents in the White Oak Apartments complex gather in a protest vigil. A memorial has been constructed, featuring a glass-framed photo of Njang and candles. Cars slowly drive up and stop as the occupants view the memorial and talk to family members.

Family members and others at the apartment complex where Njang was killed are angry over the cops’ policy of shoot to kill. “Why could she not use the Mace or shoot him in the leg?” Clifford Dedzo said. “Why did she shoot him in the chest?”

Lea Sherman, Socialist Workers candidate for District of Columbia delegate visited the vigil site August 15. “The march planned for the next day is exactly what is needed in order get a criminal indictment of Marchone,” she said. The Socialist Workers 2004 campaign here issued a statement calling for prosecuting and jailing the guilty cop.

Njang’s family has set up a fund for the transportation of his remains back to Cameroon. Donations can be sent to P.O. Box 141, 10169 New Hampshire Ave., Silver Spring, MD 20903.  
 
 
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