The Spark

the Voice of
The Communist League of Revolutionary Workers–Internationalist

“The emancipation of the working class will only be achieved by the working class itself.”
— Karl Marx

Chicago Area Security Guard Killed by Cop

Nov 26, 2018

Jemel Roberson was a musician who played keyboard and drums at churches around the Chicago area. He was working as a security guard at a bar in the black suburb of Robbins around 4 a.m. on November 11, when someone came into the bar shooting up the place. Roberson did his job–he subdued the shooter and had him on the ground, with a gun on him, when the cops showed up.

But one of the cops from Midlothian, a neighboring, largely white suburb, opened fire on Roberson, and killed him.

The Illinois State Police tried to cover up this killing. They issued a report claiming Roberson was wearing black clothing with no indication he was a guard.

But numerous witnesses said Roberson was wearing a hat and other clothing that said “security.” They also said that bystanders and the other police at the scene shouted at the Midlothian cop, warning him that Roberson was a security guard, and not the shooter.

Witness Adam Harris summed it up: “Everybody was screaming ‘Security!’ He was a security guard. And they still did their job, and saw a black man with a gun, and basically killed him.”

Is it any wonder black people in Chicago think shooting black men is “basically” the cops’ job?