“I hope every time you blink you see that baby’s face” — Protests and prayers following Chow not guilty verdict

COLUMBIA, SC (WOLO) — A community is in mourning following Monday night’s not guilty verdict for store owner Rick Chow.

The family of 14-year-old Cyrus Carmack-Belton provided a statement to ABC News saying, “Yesterday a jury watched our 14-year-old boy run away from two grown men on video. They knew one of them shot him shot him in the back and they still said no one is to blame. We are heartbroken. We do not accept it. Cyrus stole nothing. He was a child, and he was running for his life. Our son mattered. Black families have stood right here too many times — burying our children and then being told the law sees nothing. We feel every bit of that today. To everyone hurting with us: honor Cyrus in peace. We will not stop. We’re taking this fight to civil court, and we will not rest until our son’s life is given the dignity this verdict denied him.”

The unanimous decision by jurors pushed local residents to protest — and pray.

On Tuesday, a number of neighbors gathered at the Shell gas station the Chow family once managed to protest — holding signs demanding justice.

ABC Columbia’s Lee Williams spoke with two mothers in the community — Genesis Fulmore and Chasity Boyd about the juror’s ruling.

“I lost it, honestly I was very distraught. Because as a mom of three Black children, one being a Black son myself, I no longer trust the American society. I no longer trust sending my son or one of my children in general into a store,” says Fulmore.

“I have two Black boys of my own, and the fact that they can even have a non-guilty verdict with someone who was shot in the back is so crazy, because we know for a fact, if this was any other situation, he would have been in jail,” says Boyd.

The decision in large part came down to the testimony of Andy Chow, testifying that Carmack-Belton pointed a gun at him. Andy testified that he then put his hands in the air and backed up. Defense attorneys argued this was the reason why Rick Chow fired the fatal shot.

“You come into our community and you take from us. Yet you treat us like we’re the criminals. We’re the reason why you keep the lights on in this building,” says Fulmore.

“Y’all are making money off the Black community but then at the same time trying to kill us?” asks Boyd.

“People who look like us — there were six Black jurors on there. They had one job to do which was to make the right decision,” says Fulmore.

Just over 100 yards down the road from the store, others lay flowers and pray over the area where the teenager took his last breath after being chased by Rick and Andy, and then shot in the back by Rick.

“Whatever Andy and his father did to get here, whenever you close your eyes tonight and for the rest of your life, I hope every time you blink, you see that baby’s face!” says Fulmore.

Attorneys for Carmack-Belton’s family say they will continue pursuing civil action.