Monday, July 10, marked seven years and one day since Marvin Booker died at the hands of five Denver sheriff’s deputies. But on that sad anniversary, Booker’s family won a small victory – a meeting with the first and so far, only, city official to even talk to the family about the case.
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The Booker family publicly pleaded with Denver’s new District Attorney Beth McCann to launch a criminal investigation into why a Taser relied on as evidence doesn’t match the facts of the case. According to data available within the device, that Taser was deployed 34 minutes after Booker was killed, and apparently for about one-third as long. The Booker family suspects someone in the city switched out the Taser used on Booker for one that shed more favorable – although inaccurate – light on the attack.
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On the evening of the anniversary, Booker’s brother, the Rev. Spencer Booker and his wife, Gail, along with civil rights attorney Darold Killmer, discussed the meeting with McCann in a televised panel sponsored by The Colorado Independent and broadcast on Denver Public Access Channel 57.
Both Spencer and Gail Booker recounted the trauma of fighting with the city for years for justice. They spoke of the city’s callousness making the family wait nearly a year to see the video of the attack, and then requiring that they – including Marvin’s mother, Roxey Booker Walton – fly in on Mother’s Day to view it. “We want justice, real justice,” Gail Booker said. “We want someone held accountable for their actions.”
Killmer added that without a criminal investigation, “there’s no consequences for anyone.”
Spencer Booker said that even his family won’t stop fighting for accountability in the case, even if they have to hand the struggle down to the next generation or the one after that.
“Marvin is still speaking to Denver and I don’t believe he will stop speaking until things get right and justice is served.”
Video via Denver Open Media
