DAYTON -- It was a spirited conversation about race relations held Jan. 22, 2015, in the ABC 22/FOX 45 studio. Our town hall meeting was a time for our panel and audience to talk candidly about the issues and solutions.
"Nobody is running, there was no reason for them draw their weapons like that and gun down this young man like that," said Derrick Foward of the Dayton Unit of the NAACP.
Foward was speaking about the shooting at the Walmart in Beavercreek. The incident took the life of John Crawford III as he held a pellet gun.
The panelists assembled were experts in several fields, all discussing a tough topic: race relations. This town hall discussed the several high-profile shootings involving white officers and black man.
Gary Mclhinney was also on the panel. He is a former police chief of the Maryland Transit Authority and President of the Fraternal Order of Police. He said officers have to make split-second decisions.
"It's hard to describe unless you been through, what these officers go through, what adrenaline does to your mind, and how you become so focused," Mclhinney said.
Javon Webster was in the audience during Thursday's town hall. He's a 22-year-old man who said he has often been racially profiled. He said the focus is too often on him for no reason.
"When you see the difference between the white and the black community I think it is the way your mind is set up to feel about somebody in your community," Webster said.
Robin Bodine was in the audience to support the police: "I hear what you are saying about culture but can you not also recognize that there is another culture where people are walking into schools and gunning down 15 to 20 people in a matter of seconds."
All agreed that policies may need to be examined and more training for some officers is definitely needed but the bottom line is they all support police, but said relations need to improve.
Judge Adele Riley, another panelist, presides over Dayton Municipal Court in Montgomery County. She is hopeful that change will come. "I think the single most important thing we can do is talk to each other and grow to understand each other and help ourselves get beyond all these problems."
If you missed Thursday's online Town Hall it will air this at noon Saturday on FOX 45.
"Nobody is running, there was no reason for them draw their weapons like that and gun down this young man like that," said Derrick Foward of the Dayton Unit of the NAACP.
Foward was speaking about the shooting at the Walmart in Beavercreek. The incident took the life of John Crawford III as he held a pellet gun.
The panelists assembled were experts in several fields, all discussing a tough topic: race relations. This town hall discussed the several high-profile shootings involving white officers and black man.
Gary Mclhinney was also on the panel. He is a former police chief of the Maryland Transit Authority and President of the Fraternal Order of Police. He said officers have to make split-second decisions.
"It's hard to describe unless you been through, what these officers go through, what adrenaline does to your mind, and how you become so focused," Mclhinney said.
Javon Webster was in the audience during Thursday's town hall. He's a 22-year-old man who said he has often been racially profiled. He said the focus is too often on him for no reason.
"When you see the difference between the white and the black community I think it is the way your mind is set up to feel about somebody in your community," Webster said.
Robin Bodine was in the audience to support the police: "I hear what you are saying about culture but can you not also recognize that there is another culture where people are walking into schools and gunning down 15 to 20 people in a matter of seconds."
All agreed that policies may need to be examined and more training for some officers is definitely needed but the bottom line is they all support police, but said relations need to improve.
Judge Adele Riley, another panelist, presides over Dayton Municipal Court in Montgomery County. She is hopeful that change will come. "I think the single most important thing we can do is talk to each other and grow to understand each other and help ourselves get beyond all these problems."
If you missed Thursday's online Town Hall it will air this at noon Saturday on FOX 45.