ST. LOUIS — Standing at the edge of the property where Sudanese refugee Bade Ali Jabir lost his life in an officer-involved shooting last week, a crowd called for justice.
"The conflict in information has come out and Lord we know that you can give us a resolution," said Rev. Dr. Spencer Lamar Booker, of St. Paul AME Church, as he led the group in prayer.
Speakers listed their sorrow over Jabir's death, concerns about the language barrier and questions about the police's handling of the confrontation.
"Seven shots were fired killing a man who came to this country merely to seek a better life free of violence and looking for opportunities for him and his children," Jamala Rogers, a speaker with Organization for Black Struggle, said.
Speakers acknowledged Jabir had a history of mental issues after being surrounded by violence in Sudan, quick to note that they had not seen Jabir become violent.
Among the crowd was Jabir's former case worker from the International Institute, Indran Fernando, who helped Jabir and his four kids resettle in St. Louis. Fernando said Jabir spoke a tribal Sudanese dialect that was not the Arabic used by the police translator.
"Bade and I spoke Arabic together. We got by in situations that were not life-or-death. But last week was a life-or-death situation, and I am not comforted by the fact that there was an Arabic interpreter who was not even from Sudan present at the killing," Fernando said.
Police have said that Jabir was wanted on a felony warrant for charges including resisting arrest, assault and a weapons offense. They said Jabir refused to come out from a unit in the Hodiamont Apartments in St. Louis' West End neighborhood, eventually lunging at an officer with a knife and a metal pole.
Monday, St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones acknowledged calls for an investigation of recent police shootings.
5 On Your Side reached out to St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner's Office for an update on their investigation of the police shooting. We have not heard back.