Vigil Events to mark one year since shooting of Michael Newby

Just days before the first anniversary of Michael Newby's death, friends and family members have announced a series of events to honor his memory and give voice to those affected by similar violence. During a press conference yesterday outside the Louisville Metro Judicial Center downtown, family spokesman Christopher 2X said the memorial events -- to be held tomorrow at Jefferson Square; H&S Liquor Store at 45th and Market streets, near the site of the shooting; and at King Solomon Missionary Baptist Church in the California neighborhood -- will spotlight violence and its impact on the Newbys and other families. "It's never really been about him, personally, but about his death and how it represents life," 2X said. "This will be a memorial for all of the lives lost." Newby, 19, was shot and killed Jan.4, 2004, by Louisville Metro Police Detective McKenzie Mattingly in what authorities described as an undercover drug deal gone bad. Police Chief Robert White fired Mattingly in April for violating the department's use-of-force policy in connection with the incident. [more]