The local chapter of the NAACP say a case involving a group of underage teens was not handled properly by the Lima Police Department and they want answers.
About three years ago this month, a group of under aged girls were in a tragic car accident. The girl that was driving the vehicle was charged and her sister who was also in the vehicle died in the accident. President of the local NAACP and mother of the two teens involved believe that Meat City was responsible for providing the alcohol which caused the deadly crash. They are speaking up and they want to know why the business was not held responsible.
"The business was responsible for the victimization of all the kids, didn't even get a citation. The State Department of Liquor Control was not even notified until the mother reached out to them by the request of the NAACP. So it is obvious that the system failed because when crimes are committed all parties involved should be held accountable," commented NAACP President, Ronald Fails.
"I want change for all of our children and our community. I don't want them to be able to pick and choose who's important and who's not, because all our children are important," said the mother of teens involved, Tammy Holly.
We spoke to Lima Police Department Chief Kevin Martin and he says they weren't able to press any charges against Meat City because there was not sufficient evidence.
"In the investigation or any criminal prosecution, it is never the responsibility of the person being charged to prove that they didn't do something. The responsibility lies with the investigating agency and prosecutors, or the State if you will, to prove that the person is guilty, it doesn't work the other way around. The person that would be charged is innocent until proven guilty and if we don't have sufficient evidence to be able to prove a person guilty then we cannot get charges to bring against them," commented Martin.
The NAACP says they don't want to fight they just want to see changes in the way cases are handled.
