Clergy call for mayor's resignation, police reform during protest honoring slain 'neighborhood son'

Community members, clergymen and out-of-town activists converged on Carver Village in west Savannah to call for widespread reform within the Savannah Police Department — and for the resignation of Mayor Van Johnson — in response to the June 24 killing of Saudi Arai Lee, who was shot by a Savannah police officer in broad daylight.

Protestors called out the mayor's lack of response after five Black men were shot and killed by police officers in Savannah this year. Lee was the sixth man shot by police in Chatham County this year.

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"The mayor don't do anything about reforming his police department," Elder James Johnson said at the pre-march press conference, in a parking lot at the intersection of Gwinnett Street and Stiles Avenue. "Then he needs to resign or he needs to be voted out. Just as simple as that."

Chants proclaiming that "Van's got to go" rang through the humid morning air on Saturday as a group of eight protestors walked more than two miles from Carver Village to City Hall, with a caravan of 20-plus protestors riding behind them.

Johnson refuted claims that he's done nothing to reform the criminal justice and police systems in Savannah, citing several programs and policies that have been implemented within the department since 2000.

"I don't know what city they're living in," Johnson said of the protestors, "but police reform is something we're doing everyday."

Johnson cited a recent vote to push starting officer salaries to $50,000, the newly created Behavioral Health Unit (which deals with individuals under mental distress or suffering from mental illness), improvements to the ShotSpotter system throughout downtown and the creation of the Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement.

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Johnson said, "If any of our officers are liable, we will hold them accountable to the highest extent of the law."

The shooting under scrutiny on Saturday was that of Saudi Lee, a 31-year-old Carver Village native who was known as a quiet presence by his family. His uncle, Timothy Lee, remembers how Saudi Lee would also greet him with a dap (colloquial handshake between men) and the words, "Stay safe."

"And they shot him in the street," Timothy Lee said as he walked towards City Hall.

According to reports, an officer approached Saudi Lee shortly before noon on June 24. Saudi Lee pulled his concealed weapons permit from his pocket and lifted his shirt to show the officer his gun, according to reports. Then, a short chase began, which ended in Saudi Lee dead from gunshot injuries.

Onlookers have a different story, one where Saudi Lee was on the sidewalk, and the officer turned his car around to cut the man off from crossing the street.

"This picture was taken of the last 10 seconds of his life," Saudi Lee's uncle, Timothy Lee, told media members Saturday as he held up his phone, an image of Saudi Lee standing on a Carver Village street corner displayed on the screen.

Timothy Lee said Ernest Ferguson, the officer who shot Saudi Lee, was known in the neighborhood for harassing Black men. "I've seen so many videos of him dragging people, throwing people up against the wall."

Ferguson is on paid administrative leave while the Georgia Bureau of Investigations investigates the shooting.

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When Saudi Lee was killed, the Carver Village community rallied together to cry out for justice, his uncle said. "We are all family," Timothy Lee said of the historic community, which was created in the 1940s as housing for Black World War II veterans.

He added that the past several months have brought heavy police presence to his neighborhood.

Carver Village is on the precipice of change as the neighboring Enmarket Arena and Canal District is built out by the city. The 10,000-seat event space was long-called for by west Savannah community leaders, but now that the reality has brought millions of dollars in infrastructure investments and dozens of national acts, residents are fearful they will be displaced if the arena spurs gentrification in the area.

Protest ended with promises for justice, community involvement

While the march itself was a small group of impassioned protestors, led by Racial Justice Network leader and local pastor Alan Mainor, the group swelled to more than 30 people on the steps of Savannah City Hall Saturday afternoon, where chants and speeches rang out under the golden dome of Savannah's government.

"We want justice!" the crowd yelled as tourists filtered by on foot, scooter and Segway.

Elder Johnson called on the Savannah Police Department, GBI and the Chatham County District Attorney's Office to release the dashcam and bodycam footage from the shooting.

"If you have nothing to hide, then release the videos," Elder Johnson cried out through a megaphone.

State law protects departments from having to release video that is part of an active investigation.

Elder Johnson asked the clergymen in attendance Saturday to go back to their communities and get people involved ahead of a town hall planned for next weekend in Carver Village. He called on everyone in the city to rally for justice and reform in the wake of Saudi Lee's shooting.

A rash of homicides have claimed the lives of 20 people this year, most of which stem from gun violence and have involved youth. Mayor Johnson said the influx of crime should not be ignored by the clergymen rallying against police shootings.

"Black lives taken by Black lives in our streets need to matter, as well," Mayor Johnson said.

Zoe covers growth and how it impacts communities in the Savannah area. Find her at znicholson@gannett.com, @zoenicholson_ on Twitter, and @zoenicholsonreporter on Instagram. 

This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Clergy call for mayor's resignation, police reform during Savannah protest