Jacksonville remembers Vernell Bing Jr, continues fight for Community Control of the police

Jacksonville, FL – On March 24, over 50 people from the community, along with members of the Jacksonville Community Action Committee, gathered to remember the life of Vernell Bing Jr., an African American man gunned down by Officer Tyler Landreville of the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office in 2016. Along with members of Take Em Down Jax and the Northside Coalition, the Bing’s mother, Shirley McDaniel, thanked attendees for coming. Vernell Bing would have been 25 this year.

Christina Kittle, vigil emcee and organizer with the Jacksonville Community Action Committee, spoke on the need for community control of the police in Jacksonville. “We need a Jacksonville Police Accountability Council to hold JSO accountable for misconduct and put the people in charge over the police, not the other way around.”

Vigil attendees chanted, “What do we want? Justice! When do we want it? Now.”

In 2017, State Attorney Melissa Nelson’s office ruled the shooting justified. The killer cop Tyler Landreville is still patrolling the streets of Jacksonville.

Activists pledged to continue the fight for police accountability in Jacksonville.