South Haven, Mississippi police accused of executing auto mechanic in address mix-up
By
Matthew MacEgan
31 July 2017
Last Sunday, Ismael Lopez, 41, an auto mechanic originally from Veracruz, Mexico, was shot and killed by police officers in Southaven, Mississippi, a suburb of Memphis, Tennessee in what officials have described as an apparent address mix-up. The attorney for Lopez’s family claims that he was shot in the back of the head execution style through the front door of their home.
A statement released by Lopez’s family last week said he was a loving husband and father, a hard worker, and a mentor in the community. “There is no reasonable explanation about why or how this happened to our Ismael, but we believe his memory demands answers, accountability and justice.”
Lopez had been a resident of the neighborhood for 13 years, and the only time the police had ever been to his home was when the family had been robbed. The officer who killed Lopez, unidentified as of this writing, has been placed on administrative leave.
On Friday, attorney Murray Wells, who is representing the wife and son of Lopez, contacted the Justice Department to demand a federal investigation of the incident, saying that they believe the man’s death was an execution and that the officers involved should face criminal charges.
According to District Attorney John Champion of northern Mississippi’s DeSoto County, two officers were present Sunday evening when Lopez was killed in his home. Champion stated last week that those officers fired their weapons after a dog “burst” out of the house as they searched for a suspect and claimed that Lopez had pointed a gun at them through an open door. Champion stated that the officers began shouting “put the gun down, put the gun down,” after…