David McAtee
David McAtee was a 53 year old man who made countless contributions to the California neighborhood and other parts of West End, Louisville. As said by Metro Council President David James, Mr. McAtee not only believed in his neighborhood, but also used his passion for cooking to play an incredibly positive role in his community, leaving an unforgettable impact on the countless people he helped. Unfortunately, his life was cut short.
David McAtee was killed by a single shot at his chest after two police officers and two members of the National Guard fired eighteen rounds of bullets aimed at Mr. McAtee and those seeking shelter in his restaurant. As police officers and members of the National Guard approached an intersection to enforce the Louisville's 9 PM curfew, multiple groups of people were harmlessly gathering outside Dino's Food Mart and YaYa's BBQ, Mr. McAtee's restaurant, listening to music and enjoying themselves with no intent to protest or riot. When law enforcement officers crossed the street from Dino's Food Mart after yelling for people to leave, they began firing pepper balls at bystanders gathered outside YaYa's BBQ without warning.
As police officers and members of the National Guard approached an intersection... multiple groups of people were harmlessly gathering outside Dino's Food Mart and YaYa's BBQ, Mr. Mcatee's restaurant, listening to music and enjoying themselves with no intent to protest or riot.
Hearing the pepper balls being fired, everyone gathering outside the restaurant hurried inside, seeking shelter. As Mr. McAtee held the door open, ushering his customers and any bystanders into his restaurant, a police officer aimed the modified paintball gun that officers were using to fire pepper balls directly at Mr. McAtee's side door, where he was rushing everyone into his restaurant. One pepper ball hit a glass bottle inches away from where he and his niece were standing, and the other one barely missed his niece's head. Using his protective instincts, Mr. McAtee blindly shot his handgun outside his door in an attempt to scare away any intruders, unaware of what was happening and assuming someone was threatening his friends and family. The moment the shot was fired by Mr. McAtee, eighteen rounds of bullets were fired at Mr. McAtee, and one bullet hit him, ultimately leading to his death.
Mr. McAtee's death was truly undeserved. He died trying to protect his family, friends, and those he'd served at his Louisville restaurant for two years. Greg Cotton Jr, someone Mr. McAtee helped cook for at multiple community events, said in an interview, "He was one of the ones who would donate all his time and all his food; everybody could just come up and take it and he wouldn't charge because it was for the neighborhood... [his] legacy is something that cannot be duplicated or replaced... There are only a handful of people who care about the community the way that he did". Mr. McAtee gave back to his community in ways that would never be forgotten, and his impact would span over the nine neighborhoods in the area, where he would constantly help out and cook at community events for at least fifteen years. He would even offer free food to law enforcement officers in the area, the very same people who took his life after taking an oath to "protect and serve". Mr. McAtee primarily donated his food to Volunteers of America's Louisville Family Housing Services, where he was also featured for his work with the Bellarmine Food Recovery Network. His barbeque restaurant, YaYa's BBQ, was loved by all members of his community, and many have said that both he and his restaurant were a staple in the community. Mr. McAtee loved his customers and enjoyed cooking for them. He even hoped to open up a bricks-and-mortar restaurant one day.
"He was one of the ones who would donate all his time and all his food; everybody could just come up and take it and he wouldn't charge because it was for the neighborhood..."
Odessa Riley, David McAtee's mother, said that Mr. McAtee had nine siblings, four of whom had passed away previously, and a nephew named Marvin who helped Mr. McAtee with his restaurant. Ms. Riley confirmed that her son was always a good cook, ever since he was little. Many have offered condolences to Mr. McAtee's wonderful family members, including Mayor Greg Fischer who even said a prayer for him and his family. Countless members of their community have come together to pray for him and honor his memory.
Sadly, Louisville has suffered yet another loss of one of their black citizens to police brutality after Breonna Taylor's death in March. As brought to light by the Black Lives Matter movement, police brutality is one of the biggest problems regarding systemic racism against black citizens. As of June 9, the two police officers who fired at Mr. McAtee, Allen Austin and Katie Crews, are on administrative leave. Officer Crews had previously been under fire for mocking a protester who handed her flowers. Giving these two officers administrative leave for ending a man's life was truly unjust. Steven Conrad, the Louisville police chief, was also fired, after the mayor learned about the officers' failure to activate their body cameras. The police chief's firing came after years of incidents that occurred within his police department, including one in which officers sexually assaulted teens who were part of a department-run youth program. Mayor Greg Fischer also removed the city's curfew, acknowledging the police department's failure to properly enforce it. A few weeks after Mr. McAtee's death, no arrests have been made and those who murdered him still have not been brought to justice.
Although this specific case has not been confirmed to be racially motivated, many cases of police brutality similar to this one are. Even David James, a former Louisville police officer, said, "If they'd been in another part of town and people were out lounging in a large group like that, would they have rolled up with the National Guard and fired pepper balls, or would they have gone up and talked to people?", referring to the potential racial motivation involved in Mr. McAtee's death. The truth is, Mr. McAtee wasn't the first or the last to suffer and even die from police brutality. There is a clear problem embedded in the country's current law enforcement system. A problem that gives police officers too much power and harms the country's citizens, primarily black citizens, more than it helps them. To prevent more people from experiencing the same death Mr. McAtee did, take action. Use your resources or time to sign petitions and donate to funds such as those mentioned at the bottom of the article. If you are of age, please vote for representatives who will properly do their best to reform and defund the police. Most importantly, remember David McAtee for exactly who he was: a kindhearted man who contributed in countless ways to his community through his cooking, and someone will never be forgotten for his incredible impact on those he helped. May he rest in peace.
Author: Annie Qu
Contact thettsproject@gmail.com to report misinformation, bias, etc.
Petitions
https://www.change.org/p/louisville-mayor-greg-fischer-justice-for-david-mcatee
https://www.change.org/p/mitch-mcconnell-justice-for-david-mcatee?signed=true
https://www.marieclaire.com/politics/a32822800/justice-for-david-mcatee/
Fundraiser (do not donate to change.org)
https://www.gofundme.com/f/justicefordavidmcatee
Resources
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/04/us/louisville-unrest-david-mcatee.html
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/jun/05/david-mcatee-louisville-protests-family
https://www.marieclaire.com/politics/a32822800/justice-for-david-mcatee/ (mainly for resources linked at the bottom)