News

Actions

Vigil held at Hampton church following Ferguson decision

Posted at 1:57 PM, Nov 25, 2014
and last updated 2014-11-25 18:13:54-05

Hampton, Va. - A vigil was held First Baptist Church in Downtown Hampton following the grand jury decision not to indict Ferguson Police Officer Darren Wilson for killing 18-year-old Michael Brown.

About 75 people were there, including police officers, preachers, and community members. The speakers talked about ways to prevent violence like what we're seeing in Ferguson.

The goal was to "reinforce the importance of law enforcement and the community having a relationship, constant dialogue, being able to eliminate ever having a Ferguson in Hampton Roads," said Haylene Kanoyton, the president of the Hampton branch of the NAACP.

Many said they're outraged about the grand jury's decision not to indict Officer Darren Wilson in the shooting and killing of Michael Brown. "It was a slap in the face. It was injustice at its best," said Kanoyton.

Much of the focus at the vigil was on community relations with police. Several speakers encouraged people to take action to stop violence with things like youth mentorship and developing better relationships with police officers. "My hope is that we begin to become action oriented because we're doing vigils. We're good at bringing media together, but my hope is we'll be proactive in constant action," said Jarae Bolton, one of the speakers.

Related: