Justice For Justin Robinson
On September 1, 2024, at around 5:36 AM, Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officers responded to a report of a possible car crash near McDonald's on Good Hope Road Southeast. They found Justin Robinson unresponsive in his vehicle, and were immediately told he had a firearm on his lap. Instead of offering medical aid or trying to de-escalate, the officers surrounded the vehicle with their weapons drawn, escalating the situation.
As Robinson began to regain consciousness at 5:46 AM, he raised his hands in a non-threatening manner. Despite this, officers maintained their aggressive stance. One officer even threatened, "I’ll shoot you in your fucking face." When Robinson rolled down his window, an officer pointed a gun inside the vehicle. As Robinson tried to move the gun away, the officers opened fire, shooting him 10 times. No medical personnel were on the scene, and no immediate aid was provided.
As of September 18th, Officers Vaso Mateus and Bryan Gilchrist have been allowed to return to work while under investigation involving their deadly actions. This is an unacceptable failure of accountability, transparency and disregard for the community's trust.
This senseless violence raises critical questions about the use of deadly force, the handling of the alleged firearm, and the absence of medical response. The senseless killing of Justin Robinson, like Antwan Gilmore before him, demands answers and justice for his family and the community he worked to protect.