ROCKFORD, IL, ENTANGLED IN RACIAL PERIL
One year ago, a young black man ran into a church, evading the police attempting to apprehend him on a domestic dispute call. Previously, (time unknown), Mark Anthony Barmore apparently had an altercation with his girlfriend, in which, no one was seriously injured. Evidently, after 2 Rockford policemen spotted him, Mark Anthony Barmore ran toward the Kingdom Authority, a church that he began attending to try to change his life for the good of God.
His adoptive mother had always told him during his youth that “whenever, you’re afraid, or confused, to go to a church and they will help you.” It is reported that Mark Anthony could have been bipolar, or manic depressive, however, he wasn’t a terrible young man, although, he probably had issues, which would account for his mother passing down her wisdom to tell her son, “to go to a church, and they will help you.”
On the afternoon of August 24th 2009, Mark Anthony did just what his mother told him to do. Evidently, the police spotted him walking down the street or across the Rock River Bridge and perhaps, in fear, Mark Anthony ran towards the church, which was nearby. The Rockford Police Department is well know in the City of Rockford, to beat young Black men and women, and thus, could be the reason why he tried to evade the police. Perhaps, he knew that they would beat him, so he ran to the daycare center of the church, and they did let him in, because they knew of him and clearly understood.
It was during the day when the church also served as a daycare center for young children, predominately, African American toddlers. Apparently, Mark Anthony ran and hid in a closeted boiler room, with no weapon, whatsoever. What happened next hasn’t been thoroughly exposed publicly. However, minutes later an unarmed Mark Anthony lie dead on the floor. According to the autopsy report, the first shot was in his neck, although not fatal. He then fell on the floor, and shortly after, he was shot several times in the back.
Throughout the whole ordeal, the two pursuing policemen did not evacuate the children, so it is not clearly known what these little black children saw or heard.
The wife and daughter of the pastor, Apostle Melvin Brown witnessed the shooting and stated that, “the officer shined his flashlight into the boiler room and told him to come out. He came out real slow, with his hands up and his head down, and they shot him. He fell over into the sink. He tried to get back up, and they shot him again. A heavyset officer was the one who was shooting him while he was on the ground.”
The wife of the pastor, Sheila Brown said she witnessed the officers fire as many as eight rounds into Barmore, including at least one shot into his head.”
The autopsy revealed that it was one of the shots in the back that killed him, of which there were several. This has sparked a great deal of animosity and mistrust in an already divided City.
Rockford, Il. has a long history of discrimination against African Americans and Latino’s. The School Board of Education has been recently sued for a form of discrimination for not appropriating funds, books, equipment, etc., to the schools that were predominately attended by African American and Latino children, while lavishing upon the schools that were predominately attended by White Children. Even some of the white teachers has stated that, “there classes were attended by predominately black children and they didn’t have no books at all. No books!” How can a society send little black boys and girls to school with no books?
On Saturday, August 28, 2010, I, a retired Gunnery Sergeant with 23 years in the United States Marine Corps will speak at a March, commemorating Mark Anthony Barmore’s demise, to tell the absolute truth on how the City of Rockford, Il. has ostracized me because of the color of my skin. And I will tell the truth, “So Help Me God!”
Anthony S. Foreman
Retired Gunnery Sergeant
United States Marine Corps