Missouri considers the death of a black man who was shot by a white neighbor justifiable homicide

By Marlene Lenthang -

The death of Justin King, a black Filipino man who was fatally shot on November 3 in rural Missouri was ruled a justifiable homicide in an investigation Tuesday after months of community protests.

King, 28, was shot by his neighbor at a Bourbon trailer park, about 46 miles (75 kilometers) southwest of St. Louis.

The ruling comes more than two months after his death and after his family and neighbors challenged the police version of events.

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Six county residents presented evidence and heard witnesses on the case in Crawford County Courthouse to help the coroner determine the manner of death.

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The proceedings began at 9 a.m. and ended around 6 p.m., when the panel concluded the shooting was justified, explained Nimrod Chapel Jr., the president of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People ( NAACP of Missouri, which represents the King family.

The Crawford County Sheriff's Office initially said King was killed after "breaking into a neighboring residence" where the owner "feared for his life."

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But Chapel alleged that King was shot outside the neighbor's house and that he had not entered it.

“The family is distraught.

They were promised the tests and eventually saw their son vilified, ”Chapel stated after the investigation.

"They do not accept the findings of the investigating jury and have major problems with the process and the way that conclusion was found and articulated," he added.

The neighbor involved in the shooting was not in the investigation, according to Chapel, who noted that both he and the family will continue to seek a way for justice to be served.

Justin King and Harlee, his daughter. Courtesy of John King.

The neighbor, who has not been named because he has not been charged, told our sister network NBC News: "It is a horrible situation."

Under Missouri Castle law, people can use deadly force against intruders without the duty to retreat, based on the notion that their home is "their castle."

King's family and local residents demonstrated and held protests in Bourbon, demanding accountability.

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King had moved to Bourbon from St. Louis to be close to his daughter Harlee, according to his family.

Several of his neighbors said King and the shooter were friends.

Several neighbors said they heard gunshots on November 3 and saw King lying on the ground outside the neighbor's trailer. 

"The only person who says it's a burglary is the guy who shot my son,"

King's father, John King, has said.

"And all the neighbors say, 'No, he shot him in cold blood outside."

John King has said his son was the only black person in the towing community and that he believes the shooting was an act of "racially motivated hatred."

Chapel said Tuesday: “This is a pattern of behavior that we see in rural Missouri.

There is a reluctance to hold aggressors accountable when the victims are black.

It is a terrible reality that we have here in the state.