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Outraged Mother Defends Son
posted (January 14, 2016)
An outraged mother says police wrongly accused her son of being involved in Tuesday's shooting on Barrack Road. Yesterday police sent out a release saying that they had detained 21 year old George McKenzie Jr of Pink's Alley and an 18 year old in connection with this Tuesday morning shooing. This is after a gunman chased 29 year old Leon Garcia into a car wash at the corner of Barrack road, followed him into a tool room, and fired a string of shots at close range. But, even though police released his name, Mckenzie wasn't charged. His mother, Melissa Major came to our studios today and said police shouldn't have done that. She said her son should not have been detained in the first place:

Melissa Major, Mother of George McKenzie Jr.
"My son, yes they say that police came for my son, I think on Tuesday morning. Police came for my son and say that they want to see my son for a shooting. My son went with the police. When I reach at the station, the police told me that my son is detained for a shooting on Barrack Road. So I ask them how my son will be detain for a shooting on Barrack, when they move him from North Front Street. I told them that my son was in the presence of a police officer who was on duty at the time of the shooting. The police went to the station and gave a report that my son was right in front of him when the report came in on the radio at the time. So the police went and give a report, my son tell them where he was. The CIB came and check the camera, not only one, but two camera my son was in on this time. I don't understand why they will send out a press release saying that my son... the thing that hurts me is because they say the police have identified George McKenzie as the shooter. That is what Channel 7 news reported last night that they have identified him as a shooter and I don't want to make the public feel like, because even in the news, it says that Miss Philips say that how the young man doesn't want to cooperate and the young man doesn't want to say who shoot him. I don't want to make the public feel like that is my son's scenario. I want them to release my son. That is not my son's scenario any at all. It's not because Leon doesn't want to cooperate, or not because Leon doesn't want to tell the police who shoot him, the reason why they release my son. That is not it. My son got release because at the time he was in the present of a police who was on duty when the report came in. The next thing too is that I don't understand why police release people's name who are just on a pending investigation. That doesn't make any sense. If you pick up somebody on a pending investigation, I know that they usually release persons' name only when they've been charged."

Major told us her son was released yesterday afternoon.

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