Saturday Marks 20th Anniversary Of Tony Sullivan’s Death

The recent racial violence in Ferguson, Missouri brought back memories for many in Lexington.  20 years ago, a white Lexington police officer shot and killed an unarmed black teenager.  The officer was trying to arrest him. 

The shooting sparked days of violence and clashes with police.  The anniversary of Tony Sullivan’s Death is Saturday. 

Wednesday night, people gather at the Williams Wells Brown Elementary School.  The school sits near where Sullivan was shot.  From the school, people marched downtown to the courthouse for a rally against police brutality. 

We asked Mayor Jim Gray and his opponent Anthany Beatty what has changed in the last twenty years.  Gray looked the aftermath of Sullivan’s shooting more from a social services perspective.

"This work over time has helped to create a fabric in the community.  Now, is it perfect?  Things are never perfect.  We know that, but working towards healing," said Gray. 

Beatty experienced the civil unrest as a Lexington Police shift commander.  The former Police Chief looked at it from a law enforcement perspective. 

"We started working on making the police department more reflective of the community, and we did.  We were successful in hiring many young African Americans from the inner city of Lexington, those who were being impacted.  That helps us a lot to understand the culture and blend some relationships with people who live in the community," said Beatty. 

Wednesday is National Day of Action Against Police Brutality.