*Last week a popular Houston based gospel artist was shot and killed by police who say the man was intoxicated and attempted to grab an officer’s taser. However, a lot of people who knew him, say something just doesn’t sound right about that the cops are saying.
The story from the Houston police department’s Matt Slinkard, via the Houston Chronicle, is that Adrian Medearis, 48, choir director at the Evangelist Temple Church of God In Christ and founder of the gospel group, God’s Anointed People, was pulled over 1:30 a.m. by an officer conducting DWI enforcement on one of Houston’s freeways. The officer, J. Ramos, clocked Medearis driving at 90 mph when he was pulled over for a sobriety test. Police say Medearis resisted arrest as the officer tried to handcuff him. When he allegedly reached for the taser, Ramos opened fire, fatally striking him.
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With sorrowful hearts, Elder Terence K. Kirk and the Evangelist Temple COGIC family mourn the passing of our beloved choir director, Brother Adrian Medearis, who Sunday after Sunday ushered in the Holy Spirit through praise and worship. Please continue t… https://t.co/4LsRvucu16 pic.twitter.com/p99ffVvKbO
— Evangelist Temple COGIC (@etcogichtx) May 10, 2020
Ramos’ story can’t be corroborated because no other officers or witnesses were on the scene. Ramos sustained minor injuries.
In an interview with the CDhronicle, Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo said that Ramos’ body camera was knocked off during the struggle but it was running and captured the incident from a different vantage point.
“The characterizations of what happened that night by Chief Slinkard, from what I’ve watched, is accurate,” said Acevedo. Slinkard maintained that Medearis resisted being placed in handcuffs and Ramos discharged his taser in what he called “quite a violent struggle.”
But. as we said up top, those who knew him aren’t buying the cops’ story. Based on Medearis’ personality, Michael Stevenson, music director at Blueridge United Methodist Church said that the account doesn’t make sense. He told the Chronicle that Medearis was not known to be a heavy drinker and that when he was pulled over, Medearis was on the phone with someone who had attended a card game that Stevenson would have normally attended but had not that night due to coronavirus distancing.
“Even if you thought he had something to drink, I don’t see where a life should have been taken,” Stevenson told the Chronicle.
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Although the video is still in possession of Houston Police, it hasn’t been released to Medearis’ family, Chief Acevedo said.
Acevedo9 does acknowledge that he has received multiple calls from members of the community who have said the behavior described by the police is uncharacteristic of the Adrian Medearis they know and loved.
“I think the skepticism derives from the behavior that was described … that was not consistent with his history, so I thank God that everything was captured on video so eventually, the family and everyone who loved him and ultimately the community can make its own assessment” said Acevedo. “But this one night does not define this individual.”
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