Ministers Meet With Local Leaders About Cherry Tree Crossing

Ministers Meet With Local Leaders About Cherry Tree Crossing (Added: December 18, 2008)

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A community is trying to pick up the pieces after a shooting turns deadly. 23-year-old Justin Elmore died Tuesday. He was shot by two investigators this weekend. The Sheriff says he tried to use his SUV as a weapon. Several residents were heated after learning about the shooting. The two deputies are on administrative leave until the investigation is completed. WJBF News Channel 6’s Barclay Bishop has more.

By: Barclay Bishop | WJBF-TV
Published: December 18, 2008

Augusta, GA -- Community leaders say enough is enough, and they're stepping up, hoping to put an end to the violence. They're trying to find a new way to move forward, peacefully, especially, while the investigation is ongoing.

Thursday, a closed-door meeting was held at the Good Shepherd Baptist Church. More than 20 community leaders were there, including some local ministers...all of them with the same agenda.

Dr. Gregory Fuller, Pastor, Macedonia Baptist Church: “There's nothing to be mad about until the investigation is complete. We want to make sure that justice prevails.”

It is the unified message going out to the city of Augusta.

Dr. Fuller: “As leaders of this community, we join together in calling for calm. Again I say, we are calling for calm as we await the outcome of the ongoing investigation by the GBI.”

Thursday, more than 20 community leaders, including the Mayor, Sheriff Strength, and area ministers, joined forces, trying to find a way to restore peace in the Cherry Tree neighborhood.

Mayor Deke Copenhaver, Augusta: “We are a strong community, we can come together, we can get through these things, and I saw that this morning.”

During a taping of WJBF News Channel 6's, ‘The Means Report,’ Mayor Copenhaver and Commissioner Alvin Mason talked about restoring trust back into Cherry Tree Crossing.

Mayor Copenhaver: “The Commission has banded together, we're doing a good job. I can't say to anybody, 'well you need to trust this person or that person,' we as a city government, though, are focused on returning the public trust to this entity.”

Alvin Mason, Commissioner: “I think it would be premature for someone to make a statement about how someone feels or does not feel in reference to the Sheriff's Department, so my focus and our focus as leaders is to restore the calm.”

And restoring calm, is exactly what these leaders have set out to do.

Dr. Fuller: “We're going to preach it, we're going to go into the streets, we're going to talk to the residents of the neighborhood, we're going to be out there.”

You can catch more of what Commissioner Mason and Mayor Copenhaver had to say by watching ‘The Means Report.’ It airs this Sunday afternoon at 12:30 p.m. on our secondary digital station, RTN. That is channel 246 for most cable subscribers.