Kanye West donated $150,000 to the family of Jemel Roberson, a security guard, who was shot and killed by armed police officers at his place of work. Roberson was on duty at the bar where he reportedly was trying to take down a suspected gunman in Chicago when the police fired at him.
On Friday, it was reported that Kanye West gave the surviving family a total of $150,000. He gave $15,000 10 times to the GoFundMe page set up by the Roberson family earlier this week. The money dropped by West is reported by E! News to have fulfilled the entire $150,000 goal that the page mentioned. The total sum of all donations on the page has since then more than doubled.
According to the federal lawsuit filed by Roberson's mother, Beatrice Roberson, 26-year-old Jemel, a father of one was working his shift when he was killed. They are suing the department for a tune of over $1 million. The case is just one more instance in the long list of what is seen as the use of excessive force, especially involving black men and the police. Cases such as these, according to a report by the E! News, has fuelled an ongoing debate about the racial injustices that minorities are facing in the form of police brutality.
The attorney representing the Roberson family in their case has made a statement where he said that Jemel was actually wearing his security uniform and a black cap with the word "SECURITY" printed across it, the same emblem was also on his sweatshirt's shoulder in the back, notes a report by the Chicago Tribune.
Illinois State Police, however, have made a statement which contradicts this. They allege that when Roberson was shot at, he was armed and that he was not wearing a security uniform, nor was he responding to verbal commands from the police to drop his firearm. Witnesses on the scene, however, have contradicted this statement.
Investigations into this killing have been started by the police and the unnamed officer has been put on paid administrative leave, according to CNN.
