The father of a black teenager shot and killed by a police officer had a message Saturday for young people trying to come to terms with the jury’s not-guilty verdict.
“Do what you gotta do for your parents,” Antwon Rose Sr. said. “The streets ain’t it; the streets ain’t it. Read books, man. Do everything you gotta do. But leave the streets alone. It ain’t worth it. Let me tell you that.”
The previous night, a jury acquitted former East Pittsburgh police Officer Michael Rosfeld of homicide in the June 19 killing of 17-year-old Antwon Rose II.
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Rose Sr. pointed out two young men in a crowd of peaceful demonstrators at Freedom Corner in Pittsburgh’s Hill District as he delivered the words.
“We gotta do more in our communities, so they have more stuff to do,” he said. “Our kids ain’t all innocent. I know that. I wasn’t innocent. But now, in a bigger light, I see that there’s a lot that can be done.”
Antwon Rose Sr. speaks pic.twitter.com/hVNxtnhC2G
— Megan Guza (@meganguzaTrib) March 23, 2019
Rose Sr. also thanked the supporters.
“I don’t have a lot of words,” he said. “But I do thank this city, and I thank every single one of y’all for coming out here. I appreciate that. Thank you. Thank you.”
The crowd applauded.
