5-year-old Cannon Hinnant and Darius Sessoms
A suspension has been announced for a New Jersey law-enforcement officer who earlier said a 5-year-old shooting victim should have “ducked.”
Fox News explains New Jersey detention officer Rome Smith, of the Cumberland County Juvenile Detention Center, wrote on Facebook just days ago about the Aug. 9 shooting that left Cannon Hinnant, 5, dead.
He was shot point-blank while riding his bike outside his family’s home.
Smith, 49, apparently wrote. “He should’ve ducked. Y’all always trying to sneak diss and discredit a black person being killed innocently by police. Blame cannon’s parents for not watching him!!! …”
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NJ.com reported the suspension for Smith was announced by Cumberland County.
The suspect in the shooting is a 25-year-old neighbor, Darius Sessoms.
“Some have claimed the killing was racially motivated, noting that the victim was white and the alleged shooter is black,” the report explained.
Smith also is black.
Police in North Carolina have alleged that Sessoms approached the child and shot him in the head as he sat on his bicycle. No motive has been cited yet.
The report noted Smith’s social-media accounts apparently were disabled.
“In a statement that did not identify Smith by name, county officials confirmed the suspension and condemned the remarks as ‘shockingly insensitive and racist in tone,'” the NJ.com report said.
Under standard procedures, the review of the situation will be confidential until it is finished, announced Cumberland County Freeholder Director Joseph Derella.
“We will not tolerate county employees using social media to broadcast hateful messages. This is not who we are and we intend to pursue the strongest action available to us,” he said.
According to Fox, the victim’s father, Austin Hinnant, said Cannon was playing outside with his sisters when he was shot.
Fox reported Sessoms’ parents have speculated their son was hallucinating on drugs during the shooting.
