A small group of Black Lives Matter activists protested on Thursday outside the home of Ryan Pownall, a Philadelphia police officer involved in the fatal shooting of David Jones in June.
The rally, which attracted a heavy police presence and pushback from some neighbors, was the latest demonstration led by Isaac Gardner of the Coalition for Justice for David Jones and Asa Khalif of Black Lives Matter Pennsylvania. In recent weeks, Khalif and Gardner have disrupted City Council meetings, press conferences and other events over the shooting, Philadelphia Magazine reports.
Protesters placed posters around Pownall’s neighborhood around 7 p.m. on Thursday. The posters displayed the officer’s photo and read “Wanted by the people of Philadelphia for the murder of David Jones.”
About three dozen police officers, a SWAT team and a police helicopter responded to the protest, which included no more than 10 demonstrators. Officers formed a line outside Pownall’s home.
Republican State Rep. Martina White, who has proposed a bill that would delay releasing the names of officers involved in fatal shootings, denounced the protest in a statement on Friday. White's bill was vetoed by the governor in November.
