WREX.com – Rockford’s News LeaderBarmore family takes next step

Barmore family takes next step

By Bob Schaper

ROCKFORD (WREX) -- The family and friends of Mark Barmore hold a community event next week. They say the investigation into Barmore's death at the hands of two Rockford police officers is flawed.

It's been about two and a half months since Barmore's shooting and a lot's happened since then. There have been visits by civil rights leader Jesse Jackson, marches in support of Barmore, counter marches in support of the cops, and a call for a citizens review panel. But today the Barmore family announced plans for what it calls "the next step."

"These police officers that killed my son is on paid vacation and I think that is wrong."

Maryann Barmore says what happened to her son is murder. Rockford police officers Stan North and Oda Poole say they shot Mark Barmore in self defense. But no matter who you believe, the state investigation into the Aug. 24 incident appears to be moving slowly.

"They have not interviewed none of the people that I know was involved that saw the shooting," Apostle Melvin Brown said.

On Wednesday Brown will hold a community event called The Next Step. It will feature a satellite appearance by Jackson and other speakers. Brown says the group will soon travel to Washington to press for a federal investigation, along with other moves to be announced later.

"Bottom line is that we want justice," Giles Jefferson, a family friend, said. "And we will not stop until we get justice."

Maryann adopted Mark out of foster care, but says the state is now turning a cold shoulder to his death.

"It has not been right," she says. "And I'm just angry."

The city of Rockford declined to comment on the case, saying it had turned the investigation over to the state police. I did reach a spokesman for them but he would not comment on the case or whether interviews had been done or not.