It’s now been a decade since John Crawford III’s life was tragically cut short while he innocently shopped in a Beavercreek Wal-Mart.

The family of John Crawford III states:

"It's hard to comprehend that it's been 10 years since our son John was gunned down by an officer with the Beavercreek Police Dept. as he walked through a Wal-Mart.  John's senseless death has left an irreplaceable hole in all of our hearts.

Our quest for justice for our son continues a decade later.  We will never give up hope as we honor his legacy and work to ensure that such an unnecessary tragedy never impacts another family.  

John was doing nothing wrong as he walked through the Wal-Mart that day.  Our son was simply holding an unpackaged BB gun.  Surveillance video clearly shows he wasn't a threat to anyone.  Our family doesn't understand how trained police officers could overreact in such a way or how Wal-Mart could leave an unpackaged BB gun out for days if the threat of danger was so apparent.  

Our hearts break that John's two children will never be able to spend time with their father again.  Nor will we.  In an effort to hold those responsible accountable for John's death and prevent another senseless tragedy, we continue to pursue our civil claims.  We won't rest until our son's voice has been heard."

Background:

While John Crawford was shopping at the Beavercreek Wal-Mart on August 5, 2014, he picked up a toy BB gun from a shelf and walked around the store with it. The gun was mostly pointed at the ground and never aimed at anyone. But another shopper called police, claiming John was pointing a gun at people – something the surveillance video contradicts.  The caller later admitted he never saw John point the gun at anyone. 

Store security video clearly shows John with the BB gun pointed at the floor when police began shooting.  He was actually talking on his cell phone when he was first approached by the officers.  

The officer who shot and killed John was not charged in the shooting.

John was holding a toy gun that had been left out of its packaging for days in the store. Surveillance footage shows others picked it up too yet they were not profiled or approached by police.  

The family of John Crawford is represented by attorneys Michael Wright and Dennis Mulvihill of Wright & Schulte as well as Shean Williams and Sam Starks of The Cochran Firm.