A family is demanding justice and accountability after viewing the body-worn camera video of last month’s deadly shooting of Melvin Jay, 31, by a Prince George’s County police officer.
“We demand justice for Melvin,” said Leonard Lee, first cousin of Jay who was killed by a single police gunshot on Feb. 1 at his home in Suitland, Maryland.
“Since Feb. 1, 2024, my family has been gripping with devastating loss of our loved one, Melvin Kenneth Jay, who was taken from us in an untimely and violent manner, in the very place he should have felt safe — his home,” Lee said.
Lee gathered with other family members, community activists and the family’s attorney to deliver comments just two days after the Maryland Attorney General’s Office made the body worn camera footage public.
“There is a fear, a tangible fear, that if you call for 911 for help, or for any reason, that a loved one, or a family member might not make it out of that situation alive. And that fear is different for different communities. We have to be honest, that Black people across this country are not seen the same by law enforcement, when they’re wearing the badge, no matter the color of their skin,” said Prince George’s County Council member Krystal Oriadha where the shooting took place.
“If they’re white, Black, brown, there’s something that happens when they see us. And this incident could have been avoided. There’s so much that we have to do as government officials when it comes to demanding better training, demanding transparency,” she added.
After Jay was shot, the video shows police removing a gun from his pocket and saying that a second gun was found in the kitchen sink, near where Jay was shot.
“The pain we feel is immeasurable. And the questions swirling in our minds are endless. We are shattered not just by the loss of our beloved family member but by the senselessness of his death,” Lee said.
“We demand justice for Melvin. We demand accountability for those responsible. No family should have to endure such heartbreak, such injustice. We urge for a thorough and transparent investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death. … Our grief is raw, our anger is justified and our resolve is unwavering,” he added.
The officer who fired his weapon, Officer Braxton Shelton, is on administrative leave and the Maryland Attorney General’s Office is investigating the shooting.
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