Initial reports said that undercover officers from LAWNET had set up a drug buy in the residential area of Riverside. When the two men realized they were dealing with police, they ran. One escaped in his vehicle, and David Ware ran on foot. An officer named Uriah Hamilton “subdued” Ware by shooting him with his service pistol. A total of six shots were fired. Three of those shots landed on target —one in the groin, one in the leg, and one in the back. The shots were fatal. Ware had been unarmed. He was a 29 year-old African-American man and the father of 6 children.

In response to an outcry by the community, a town hall-type meeting was scheduled in which it was believed that the police would discuss the incident with the public. The Riverside Neighborhood Association organized the meeting, and decided to move it to a larger venue after several other organizations expressed interest in participating.

The meeting consisted of a moderator, concerned members of the community and three representatives from the various agencies that police the Riverside area. Sheriff Daniel Minzey represented the Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Department, Chief of Police Matthew Harshberger was present, and Lt. Garth Burnside of the Michigan State Police represented LAWNET at the meeting.

The officers stated that they were unable to discuss the details of the actual incident, but were able and willing to discuss general policy and procedure. The community members who were present were visibly frustrated and disappointed. Many seemed to feel helpless knowing that their questions about the January 23rd shooting would go unanswered. But people were more than willing to take advantage of the opportunity to question the police department’s policy and procedure.

A lot of interesting things were brought to light during that meeting. It was made clear that officer Hamilton was employed by the Ypsilanti City Police Department. After discussion about the screenings and background checks that LAWNET officers are subjected to, a man in the audience came forward and said that Uriah Hamilton had taken part in a raid on his home and shot two of his pets. The Ypsilanti man also stated that Uriah Hamilton had discharged his weapon ten feet from a two year-old girl.

Brian Mackie, the Washtenaw County Prosecutor (an elected official with an arguable poor history in regards to civil rights) has chosen not to press charges against Officer Hamilton in the shooting death of David Ware.

David Ware’s sister Alethia told markmaynard.com, “The way he died reflects the hatred in the world and how so many people look at the smaller picture. The police only saw a “drug dealer,” that is so minute in the grand scheme of David’s life! His death has hit my family and me like a ton of bricks.”