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FBI investigating possibility of civil rights violations in Taliaferro case Published: April 14, 2009  RG Fleming speaks to members of the Taliaferro and Jones families following a protest this morning outside the Powhatan County courthouse. By Michael Copley Updated at 4:13 on 4/14/09 A 10-month FBI investigation continues this week, examining potential civil rights violations committed during the shooting death of eighteen-year-old Tahliek Taliaferro last summer. “The FBI has been working on this case since July [2008], I know it’s getting blown up in the media now, but this is not new to us,” said FBI spokesman Lawrence Barry. “The investigation hinges on whether or not the shooting was in violation of a civil rights statute.” There was, according to court testimony, an ongoing feud between Joey Parrish and Taliaferro in the time leading up to the shooting and both, according to accounts, attempted to engage the other in fist fights; many in the community did not believe race to be a causal element in the incident. But there are elements of the civil rights statutes that investigators may deem applicable. According to U.S. Code title 18, section 241, it is unlawful “for two or more persons to conspire to injure, oppress, threaten, or intimidate any person…It further makes it unlawful for two or more persons to go in disguise on the highway…with the intent to prevent or hinder [someone’s] free exercise or enjoyment of any rights so secured,” this according to the FBI’s Web site. “Punishment varies from a fine or imprisonment of up to 10 years, or both; and if death results…or an attempt to kill, [offenders shall] be fined under this title or imprisoned for any term of years, or for life, or may be sentenced to death.” “[The FBI] is looking into the totality of the situation,” said Powhatan Chief Deputy D.K. Giardini. “They’re not looking at the criminal charges, the verdict can’t be changed.” A jury convicted cousins Joey and Ethan Parrish last month of involuntary manslaughter and recommended the maximum sentence, 10 years, on the manslaughter conviction, and one year on assault and battery for shooting then 16-year-old Courtney Jones. Joey Parrish will be sentenced by a judge at a later date because he was a minor at the time of offense. Family and friends of Tahliek Taliaferro, along with the NAACP, held marches protesting the jury’s verdict and, moments after the verdict was read, allegations of racism took center stage. Shortly there after, KKK pamphlets were scattered in county driveways. According to Barry, the FBI began the investigation last summer after becoming aware of the case through media coverage and after his office was contacted by the Sheriff’s Office. Editor’s note: This article originally incorrectly referenced Title 18, section 241 as part of the U.S. the Constitution. The error has been corrected above. |
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really! of USA
May. 29, 2009, 09:50 AM
I truly hope that GOD is watching over Powhatan…! gloria taliaferro of somewhere in goochland
May. 28, 2009, 03:27 PM
imma have to agree with cuzzin, seems to me that everyone has somethin bad to say about my cuzin tahliek,he has family in powhatan and also in goochland come tell us what u gotta say! not on the computer!oh and by the way stehanie reynolds was at a party in goochland. but u know god works in awesome ways! she will get hers.as well as the others!regardless of what some u dumb people gotta say about liek he didnt deserve to die!!!!!!!!!!!!! dolphinsfan37 of richmond
May. 18, 2009, 11:36 PM
ptown has had a issue like this for a long time i have lived in ptown before these kids were a gleam and when i was their same ole issue but we were men we did not use guns we used fist there were no fbi agents that wanna try to stur up stuff com on where the old days you fight and that is it dont blame one side it is two sides to everything. bot were at fault. know we had racial issues in ptown for longer than this it is not right but it was the way it was for the ones that have never lived in ptown they dont know what is going on there. i am sorry he was killed but when you pull into a store and you start an argunemt of course there is retaliation i have been there. for the black issue of it. this is not racial these kids pulled in the store and i am sure they had words everyone does. you have the ididts from the naacp stirrin up stuff but you dont see the white people out there doing what they are doing. if you did then the police would be on them. i dont understand how it got this far due to the police hang out at the store so where were they joe joe brown of chesterfield county
May. 18, 2009, 08:24 PM
Maybe Powhatan should worry a little more about how well their police do their job. If the investigation was done correctly then there wouldn’t be all these questions and it would be clear as to whether or not it was self defense. SOMEONE IN RICHMOND of RICHMOND
Apr. 26, 2009, 09:43 AM
OKAY I WANT TO SAY THIS I KNOW THE YOUNG GUY THAT GOT KILLED FAMILY AND MY FAMILY LIVES IN POWHATAN. I AM NOT RACIST AND INFACT MY FAMILY HAS WHITE PEOPLE IN IT AND I AM BLACK. I WANT TO SAY THIS. IF THOSE BOYS WANTED TO FIGHT THEN THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN WHAT IT WAS. IF THEY WERE TO FIGHT AT LEAST THEY MOST LIKELY WOULD HAVE LEFT WITH THEIR LIVES AND NO ONE WOULD HAVE DIED. I AM NOT SAYING WHOSE FAULT IT IS THERE COULD HAVE BEEN BETTER JUDGEMENT BUT AGAIN WHEN YOU HAVE LITTLE KIDS THAT ARE ON DRUGS AND MAKING BAD DECISIONS THIS IS WHAT HAPPENED. WHERE ARE THE PARENTS THOSE ARE THE PEOPLE YOU SHOULD BE FUSSING AT. ASK THEM WHERE WERE THEY WHEN THEY COULD HAVE BEEN HELPING THIS SITUATION GOING TO THE SCHOOL AND SPEAKING WITH PEOPLE ABOUT THIS ARGUMENT THAT SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN GOING ON FOR A WHILE. COME ON PEOPLE SOMEONE LOST THEIR LIFE AND THE MURDERS YES MURDERS HAVE BEEN CONVICTED. ANYWAYS WHEN THOSE BOYS GET OUT OF JAIL THEIR LIVES WILL BE NOTHING THEY WILL HAVE NO WORK HISTORY AND HAVE BEEN CONVICTED OF A FELONY THEY WILL BE ABLE TO HAVE THE LIFE OF A NOBODY AND THAT IS WHAT THEY DESERVE FOR MURDER. NOW IF IT WAS THE OTHER WAY AROUND I WOULD SAY THE SAME THING. I SAY TO THE FAMILY THAT GOD WILL TAKE CARE OF EVERYTHING WHO KNOWS MAYBE GOD HAS A PLAN FOR THESE BOYS AND YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO THEM IN JAIL OR FOR THE REST OF THIER LIFE BELIVE ME GOD WILL PUNISH THEM harrier
Apr. 17, 2009, 11:55 PM
Chesterfieldst: Please read what I said, I never used the term “white trash”. My descriptions of these troublemakers never used any racially incindiary terms. This is a typical fruedian slip of someone with racial issues to insert racial provocative language where there isn’t any. Please look deep inside and get to the root of what your issues are. chesterfieldst of chesterfield
Apr. 17, 2009, 01:17 PM
Did you see where the charges against the nurse were dropped for helping Joey Parrish? No reason was given. chesterfieldst of chesterfield
Apr. 16, 2009, 04:28 PM
CUZZO…. I would be ashamed of the way you talk. Most of us are talking like adults. You act like you want people to come up and talk about your cousin to your face like it is a threat. You should watch that.
So if any kids are reading this remember… You may stay in contact with 3-4 people you know from school… The rest do not matter.. IGNORE THEM! Friend of Richmond
Apr. 16, 2009, 03:56 PM
Brent, Thank you, if everybody would just use common sense. Tahliek was no angle did he deserve to die, over a school yard disagreement.Both sides had more options then the one they chose to act on. someone of Powhatan
Apr. 16, 2009, 03:55 PM
Brent, both cars left Dorset where the shooting occured and went to Lockgate where the white durango didn’t follow. Then left and came back. Submit Your Comments Below |
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