MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The fatal shooting of Alvin Motley Jr. earlier this month at an east Memphis Kroger fuel center has attracted enormous public attention. In a city that has hundreds of shootings every year, this one struck a nerve because the shooter was a security guard hired to keep the peace – not needlessly take a life. Motley’s death also created a stir because it allegedly resulted from Motley playing his music too loud, although defense lawyers insist there’s much more to the story.
At any rate, public interest in this case is huge, which is why the special prosecutor assigned to the case says he plans to release the video of Motley’s shooting to the public. And it’s the right move. Yes, Gregory Livingston, the unlicensed security guard charged with second degree murder, is entitled to his day in court. And we should always strive not to conduct trials in the media, but the public deserves transparency. And despite objections from Livingston’s lawyers, video of the shooting absolutely should be released.
Thanks to cell phone cameras in everyone’s hand – and surveillance cameras at virtually every location – incidents such as this are almost always caught on video. And it’s up to the courts to balance the right to a fair trial with the public’s right to know, So again, I applaud the prosecutor’s push for transparency. It’s simply the right thing to do. Hopefully, the presiding judge agrees.
I’m Otis Sanford, and that’s my point of view.