Keeping city streets clean
Keeping city streets clean
WM Councilwoman, rehab residents wash away aftermath of shooting
( Related Editoral 4 page)
news@theeveningtimes.com
The community reacted to the news of Exzavion Dent being chased down and shot dead in the middle of South Avalon on Tuesday.
The daylight shooting left neighbors stunned. At noon Wednesday Ward 2 Councilwoman and Disproportionate Minority Contact Chair Melanie Hutchinson met with 10 workers from West Memphis Health and Rehab to clean the blood stained street in front of the facility.
People on the street Wednesday morning said several shots rang out from a vehicle as Dent ran across the four lane Avalon toward Jackson. One car parked at the rehab was hit by two stray bullets.
Hutchinson came to the scene Wednesday morning and felt moved to respond in some tangible way. After speaking with a few of her former co-workers at the rehab center they decided to scrub the blood spill stains next to the double yellow center line stripes. With a police officer blocking the middle lanes, the group met at noon and used the first part of their lunch hour to scour spot.
“I know the family,” said Hutchinson. “Everybody cares. It effects them. It’s is right here where they work. That’s why we had to do something.”
A visibly shaken Hutchinson talked about the community reaction in the aftermath of the murder and appealed to witnesses and those with information to work with police for justice.
“It was quiet overnight,” said Hutchinson. “The streets are quiet for a reason. They want to handle it themselves. They are planning retribution.”
The Councilwoman called for the community to cooperate with the police rather than keep quiet.
“It is not going to solve the problem,” said Hutchinson. “That won’t solve this.
Go to the police and let them handle this, or we will be back out here mopping up someone else’s blood.”
Police urged those with information to contact investigators at (870) 732-7555 or Crime Stoppers (870) 732-4444. All calls will be kept confidential. One arrest has been made in connection with the shooting.
Hutchinson referred to the Tuesday tragedy and called on the community to take tangible proactive action by caring for children.
“Everybody today likes to be for show,” said Hutchinson. “ ‘Look at me, my group did that’, but you never see the children out front that benefited from it.
When we do have children out front, it’s like this.”
The councilwoman told how she personally works with a teenager expelled form school who has two felony convictions. Yesterday’s shooting fortified her resolve to make a difference.
“I’m working with children now, and I won’t let him go” said Hutchinson.
“The kids need us. I know that is what I am supposed to be doing. We know what the problems are. What else is the solution?”
By John Rech
