But his mother says the police officer who shot him is a re-enlisted officer - who got back into the department who served more than a decade in jail for killing a man in custody. That is what other persons in the village have told us as well - but police would not confirm.
Additionally, Marlene Rivers - who is a registered nurse - says her son was most certainly not shot in the leg. She spoke with us after visiting with him at the Western Regional Hospital today:
Voice of: Marlene Rivers, Mother of Shooting Victim
"My son not got no shot on his foot. None. None, capital N-O-N-E. My son got shot in his right lower abdomen and back. My son still have the bullet in his back. My son did not run when they were cleaning, they are trying to cover for themselves."
"The police told my son, you are free to go. And when my son was going, my son say he heard them pulling guns so he start run. I am a lenient and understanding person, I am also educated."
"If what they are claiming that my son haul a machete, if they had shoot him in his hand to make the machete drop, I would have agreed, and I would not be happy about it, but I would have accepted it."
"If they had shoot him in his foot claiming he was running, I would have accepted it, Jules. Why in a my son abdomen, why? Or why in a my son back? If this man is trying to run away from you, you got no right to shoot him in the back, he is not a threat to you because he's not facing you."
"My son is asthmatic and they had he in a cell Friday night. Friday night was very cold, they had he in a cell all night without clothes. I saw him this today, this afternoon. He's not doing well, when I left him yesterday afternoon, he was doing much better. In my opinion as a registered nurse midwife. I'm not angry, I'm worried and I'm stressed."
Rivers says her son lives with a mental condition. He remains in protective custody pending charges. She has made a complaint to the Professional Standards Branch.
Email
Print