Protestors gather in Durham in response to in-custody death of 17 year old

A riot occurred outside of the Durham Police Department headquarters Friday evening, resulting in property damage and local disturbance.

The demonstration began as a non-violent meeting between community members in light of 17-year-old Jesus Huerta’s death Tuesday from a gunshot wound in the back of a police car. The group gathered in the CCB Plaza by the bull statue in the center of downtown Durham and continued towards the police station. According to a November 23 News and Observer article, masked demonstrators joined the crowd as the procession marched, throwing firecrackers at officers.

DPD released a statement Saturday afternoon recalling the events of the protest and its end. Police officers arrested Shahqeel McCrimmon, a 19-year-old Durham resident, and charged him with failure to disperse on command, holding a meeting while wearing a mask and causing a public disturbance. He was released from jail Saturday after posting a $1,500 bond.

Huerta’s case is still under investigation by the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation. DPD Police Chief Jose Lopez issued a statement Tuesday clarifying the details related to Huerta’s death. After the juvenile was taken into custody for second-degree trespassing charges and the police transport took him to headquarters, a shot was heard from the back of the vehicle. The officer, in shock, rolled the car into a parked van. Huerta was immediately taken into the hospital and died later that day.

Huerta’s death is the third in a line of police-affiliated deaths occurring in recent months. Jose Ocampo, a 33 year-old Durham resident, was shot four times by officer R.S. Mbuthia after reportedly holding a knife out against the officer. More recently, in a highly publicized case September 17, 26-year-old Derek Walker was shot in the CCB plaza after proclaiming his suicide wish and entering into an hour-long standoff with law enforcement.

Despite this recent conflict, emergency coordinator Kyle Cavanaugh noted that recent negative perceptions of the police department in lieu of these events do not hinder the positive relations between Duke and Durham police.

“In terms of the relationship interface with not only the city but also the county and state…we’re fortunate to have an excellent working relationship with [the police department,]” Cavanaugh said.

Cavanaugh said that Duke police focuses their jurisdiction on incidents occurring on campus and students who live off campus fall primarily under the jurisdiction of the Durham police. But Cavanaugh added that this phenomenon does not concern him.

“When we’ve had issues… in areas in close proximity to the campus, [Durham police] has helped with ramping up some of the patrols and has been very good in helping to increase visibility,” Cavanaugh said. “We’ve been in partnership with them and they’ve been very cooperative and very responsive.”