Trial in Police Killing of Michael Newby Begins -- Shot 3 Times in the Back
Monday, September 20, 2004 at 04:12PM 
- Louisville Police have Killed 7 Black Men in the last 5 Years
Nineteen-year-old Michael Newby was the seventh black man fatally shot
by Louisville police in the last five years. The officer who shot him
three times in the back is the first to face criminal charges. McKenzie
Mattingly goes on trial for murder this week in a case that has sparked
protests in Louisville. Many in the city's black community say holding
a white police officer accountable for the killing of a black man is
long overdue.Mattingly told prosecutors that he was "scared to death"
when he shot Newby and believed that the 19-year-old was "trying to go
for a weapon." Police say a .45-caliber gun was found in Newby's
waistband after he was shot, but Mattingly told investigators he never
saw the weapon before he fired. Court documents confirm that Mattingly
was wearing a wire but that his conversations were not being recorded.A
wrongful death suit fied against Mattingly also alleges that Newby did
not receive adequate medical attention and "died in the street with his
hands handcuffed behind his back.[more 
] and [more ] and [more ]
- Newby's death came just over a year after the
December 2002 fatal shooting of 50-year-old James Taylor. Police shot
Taylor 11 times in an apartment after he was handcuffed. Two white
officers at the scene said Taylor, who was black, lunged at them with a
boxcutter knife. After the officers were cleared of criminal charges by
a grand jury, activists stepped up their protests, and Taylor's family
filed a civil suit against one of the officers. [more ]
Reader Comments (27)
we be peaceful niggahs here in dah west end...
fuck white tees .....CK
and remember the best way to keep violent cops from killing inocent homiez is by creating dangerous areas where cops wont go into...
best way to stay safe in louisvilles ghetto is by paying the cops a fee every week and they let you do wat ever the heel you want....
i think that louisville should get a new line of police...come on they protect criminals!
if you live in louisville you edier a blood or a crip...you gonna shoot someone from the other gang even if your a cop....its true
yes I agree louisville cops do charge a fee for protection but thats the only way to live here. frist of all the police needs black cops in black hoodz and white cops in white hoodz.
they are doing the best they can but louisville wont UNsegrigate untill cops learn how to bond with the streets and the pepole even if they are dealing with criminals.i think that a few cops going to jail for this should be an example for the rest of the officers.
you have to compare to white man killed to see wat is the rate is..
and louisville is 1 out of three is black so you have to mutiply the number of black times 3 to get ...some like thAT
heres wat it be i gotta pay child suport only way a nigga can feed his kids in LV is by selin trhat dope...and i tell you wat cops be buyin plety of weed from niggas...they ant be raceist in fact the need us negros to sell them they weed...
yeah man i tell you i went to louisville and i saw alot of...black pepole..and i was they only white boy around...is they was scary i think white pepole should stay away from west end ..well it worth going into the projects if you need iligal work.the cops never evah go into clarksdale...but remember that nigg..blacks in louisville dont play around...