Security Guard Jemel Roberson, Killed At Bar, Was A Father With A Baby On The Way: Attorneys
CHICAGO (CBS)--Two days after 26-year-old security guard Jemel Roberson was allegedly fatally shot and killed by a Midlothian police officer, new details are emerging about Roberson's life and the circumstances surrounding his shooting.
Lawyers for Roberson's family said Tuesday night that he was the father of a 9-month old son named Tristan. The child's mother, Avontea Boose, is currently pregnant with their their second child, according to a statement from Merritt Law Office.
Meanwhile, Midlothian Police Chief Daniel Delany changed his description of Roberson on Tuesday, at first describing him as a "subject with a gun" and later referring to him as "a brave man who was doing his best to end an active shooter situation at Manny's Blue Room."
Delany initially said "there were conflicting reports of whether he was the suspect or a security guard" in the Sunday morning shooting.
But it's now known that Roberson was attempting to diffuse a shooting situation that had broken out in the bar.
An attorney representing Roberson's family has also said Roberson was doing his job when he apprehended a shooting suspect when Midlothian police arrived on the scene.
The still-unnamed officer fired shots, striking and killing Roberson.
Demonstrators gathered Tuesday in front of the police department, calling for "Justice for Jemel" and asking for a thorough investigation.
"We won't get justice tomorrow--we won't get justice today," Roberson's friend Stringer Harris said.
Roberson's attorney says Roberson was wearing a hat and shirt with the word "security" on both items of clothing at the time of the shooting.
A photo taken in September shows Roberson in a security shirt, and a friend told CBS 2 he would have typically worn the ensemble to a shift at the night club.
Midlothian police did not respond to a request from CBS 2 for bodycam video.
The officer involved is currently on paid administrative leave pending the results of a state investigation.
