Family and friends gathered in front of a memorial to honor Antwon Cooper’s life and to demand justice for his death on the corner where he was shot and killed one month ago.
A call for justice echoed through the streets of Northwest 10th Avenue and 71st Street.
“No justice, no peace. No justice, no peace,” could be heard at the vigil.
Cooper’s mother couldn’t speak. She was overwhelmed with emotion and grief.
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His father, Gerald Adams, said the family is in pain.
“He was a good young man,” Adams said. “He was getting himself together, he was doing right. The way things happened were unjust and we want justice for our son.”
On March 8, Cooper was pulled over by a Miami Police officer.
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Body camera video from the traffic stop shows the officer asking for Cooper’s license, which he says he doesn’t have.
The officer then asks Cooper to step out of the car. Cooper tries to run but a struggle between him and the officer ensues before a second officer shoots him.
Family says the officer didn’t need to use lethal force.
“I don’t want him to get a pat on the back and sent to another precinct,” Cooper's grandfather said. “I don’t want him to work for nobody else cause what he did to our grandson. That was a travesty.”
Rawsi Williams, an attorney for the family, notified the City of Miami that the family plans to sue.
“We’re not just suing, Williams said. “We’re demanding that the officer be arrested and charged. We demand justice and we won’t stop. We will not stop until we get it.”
The Miami Police Department said in a previous statement they offer their condolences to the family and continue to cooperate with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
Family members said that as they continue to grieve, they also plan to celebrate life. The memorial ended with a birthday song. Cooper would have turned 35 on Sunday.
