Posted on 11/28/2003 5:06:33 PM PST by Missouri
Pine Lawn police officer kills 17-year-old rap performer By Bill Bryan Post-Dispatch 11/28/2003
Kyle Dismukes, a young rapper from Overland, recently cut a CD aptly titled "Streets Tell It All."
Shortly after performing songs from the CD at the Cougars nightclub in Normandy, Dismukes was shot to death early Thursday by a Pine Lawn police officer after a traffic stop in the 2700 block of Kienlen Avenue.
The officer said he had stopped Dismukes' car for a traffic violation about 1:45 a.m. but that the youth grabbed his arm as he approached the driver's window and sped away, with the officer clinging to the door.
The officer said he could not break free and fired into the car with his free hand after he was dragged for some distance, including when Dismukes, 17, made a U-turn in the street.
The officer's name was not disclosed.
The shooting was being investigated Thursday by St. Louis County police, who said they found a handgun in Dismukes' car.
Thursday's incident was the second fatal shooting in two weeks of a St. Louis County teenager who apparently was trying to flee from police. On Nov. 16, Byron Harmon, 15, was fatally shot when two St. Louis County officers fired into a car at a trailer park on St. Charles Rock Road.
The officers said they fired because their safety was jeopardized, but a friend of Byron's who was in the car said Byron panicked and was simply trying to get away. The car Byron was driving turned out to be stolen.
Dismukes' mother, Cynthia Montgomery, 48, of Overland, said she wants a thorough investigation of the shooting.
"I want to know why they shot him. I find their account unbelievable," she said. "I'm not satisfied."
Dismukes was the youngest of Montgomery's six children, she said.
"He was a very loving person who was kind and intellectual," she said. "My son was very smart and a very good person."
Dismukes had been a rap performer since he was a little boy, his mother said.
He attended an alternative high school operated by the Ombudsman program and affiliated with Normandy High School.
One of Dismukes' sisters, Tamika Dismukes, 27, said she, too, wanted a better explanation from the police.
"We're getting the runaround from the police," she said. "They've been very vague."
County police isssued a news release describing the shooting but refused to comment further on Thursday, citing the Thanksgiving holiday.
Several of Dismukes' friends gathered in the street Thursday in the 6200 block of Bailey Place in Hillsdale where Dismukes often stayed. Bailey is just a few blocks from the shooting scene.
One close friend of the slain teen locked herself in an SUV with her head buried in her hands as she listened to the blaring music of Dismukes' CD.
Friends of Dismukes said he had been driving a 2001 Mercedes that belonged to a friend when he was shot, and some suggested that the fact that the car was a luxury vehicle may have been the reason the officer stopped it.
One man who would not give his name said he had been driving behind the police car and witnessed the incident. He said the officer fired almost immediately when Dismukes drove away, with the officer clinging to the door.
"The officer grabbed the door and Kyle hit the gas pedal, and the car came to a stop a short distance away," said the man, indicating a distance of perhaps 30 yards. The man said he didn't hear any gunfire but added that "the cop must have shot him right away" because of where the car stopped.
(Excerpt) Read more at stltoday.com ...
One mans bias is another man's good judgement.
St. Louis County refuses to have a police review board and as a county resident (Florissant), I stand behind them on this one.
Why is it when the subject of rap comes up I think of the song by the country band, Confederate Railroad, called "Rap is Crap"?
Momma had five other children besides the rapper. I just have to wonder if they've caused any mayhem, too.
Very left-wing. It brings alot of shame to our state but I guess most big-city newspapers do.
Perhaps we should wait for a more moderate news source to report on this, such as Newsmax.com, before assigning blame.
I'm not sure why Newsmax would bother with a local story like this.
I'm not sure who is getting the blame for this shooting but I have to give the benifit of doubt to the police.
His estate??? LOL !!
I can only imagine would that might be.
The stolen car was from the shooting last week in Pagedale. The rapper had a friends car.
As for the gun, I'll bet right now the Post-Disgrace's editorial dept. is trying to spin this so the Right-to-Carry movement here in Mo. gets the blame for this shooting.
That description fits all car theifs, I'm sure.
A good bet. It was a STL county judge who overturned it. Or attempted to. And When MO Supreme court upholds the right to carry, they gun haters will file in federal court..
Used to live in "Pine Lawn" now is in a "Pine Box" under the lawn......
It would be more funny if I didn't live near that part of the county.
Pine Lawn is adjacent to North St. Louis City. If the shooting had occured within the city limits, I believe the story would be handled differently. The city police work in fear of the politicians. In St. Louis County, most politicians support the police knowing that you can't give the criminals the upper hand out in the streets.
I sure hope that the MO. Supreme court upholds it. With 3 Ashcroft appointees and 4 Carnahan appointees, I wouldn't want to put any money either way.
I have to believe that it will be a 4 to 3 decision either way. I'm hoping that one of the Carnahan appointees is a rural, yellow dog democrat and has enough courage to side for Right-to-Carry.
How come I've never heard of this guy? Have you?
I guess he'll never be the opening act for Toby Keith or the Kentucky Headhunters.
Your probably right. We'll see if the story goes away or not.
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