Jon Nazca/Reuters
An attorney for security guard Jemel Roberson’s partner said he learned the identity of the police officer who shot and killed the nightclub security guard—and he will release the name if authorities do not, USA Today reported Friday. Civil-rights attorney Lee Merritt, who represents the mother of Roberson’s nine-month-old son, claimed he independently learned the name of the officer who killed Roberson outside an Illinois bar over the weekend and will release it to the public by Monday if the authorities haven’t by then. The lawyer also reportedly accused Illinois State Police and Midlothian Police Department of withholding the officer’s name from the public so that the cop has a chance to “hide evidence.”
“They refused to release Amber Guyger’s name, which gave her a chance to scrub the Internet and hide evidence,” Merrit told the newspaper, referring to the Texas police officer who shot a black man earlier this year. “It’s exactly what’s going on here.”
Roberson, 26, was reportedly working security outside of Manny’s Blue Room on early Sunday morning when a gunman began shooting inside. Roberson, who was armed, was able to pin down the gunman, but when Midlothian police arrived, an officer reportedly told Roberson to drop his weapon. Witnesses said they shouted to the officer that Roberson was a security guard before the officer fatally shot Roberson.