Mount Vernon, NY — A man was shot and seriously injured near the ‘Richard Thomas For Mt. Vernon Mayor’ campaign headquarters, located at 133 So. 4th Ave, Friday afternoon. The quick thinking of Thomas’ Campaign Manager, Roberta James, a registered nurse, kept both children and staff out of harms way and may have saved the man’s life.
Councilman and Mayoral candidate Richard Thomas spoke to BW on the heroic acts of Roberta James in keeping everyone safe and rescuing the victim:
“Thank you to Roberta James for protecting the children, ensuring all staff was safe, as well as rescuing and attending to the victim who was shot nearby,” said Thomas. “Roberta’s courage and selfless act saved a life and countless others who were in the cross hairs of harms way. Roberta is a hero.”
The incident which occurred at approximately 1:15 pm is another clear example of the need to reclaim our streets.
“This shooting underscores the brazen disrespect, these criminals have for the law in Mt. Vernon. They should not feel comfortable in our community to behave this way. This is why we are here and working hard to reclaim our streets, kids, and community, as well as to uplift and revitalize Mt. Vernon,” said Thomas.
We caught up to Ms. James who helped apply pressure to the young man’s wounds until he could receive medical attention, which could have possibly have helped save his life.
“We need to end this,” Ms. James tells BW. ” We need to protect our kids. We need to change our City and make the community safer. This is why we need real leadership in City Hall to strengthen public safety and keep our families safe.”
With respect to rescuing the victim, she added, “It was instinct. I acted fast to secure the situation and I thank God that it wasn’t fatal and the kids are safe.”
In direct response to the senseless act of gun violence, Thomas has scheduled a press conference to be held at 12:30 PM near the “Thomas for Mt. Vernon Mayor” headquarters at 133 So. 4thAvenue, Saturday afternoon. Thomas will be joined by a group of community leaders who will also be speaking at press conference.
The group will be comprised of the following community leaders:
- Richard Thomas – Councilman and candidate for Mt. Vernon Mayor
- Damon Jones – New York Representative, Blacks In Law Enforcement of America
- Benyamin Bridges – Founder of Parents Against Teen Violence
- Hopeton Willis – owner of Dazzles Restaurant
- Rev. Jeffrey Wheeler – Senior Pastor of Mount Calvary C.M.E. Church
- Rev Stephen Pogue – Pastor of Greater Centennial A.M.E. Zion Church
Also in attendance will be Roberta James, “Thomas for Mayor” campaign manager, who rescued the wounded man and kept staff and children safe from harm’s way. Stay tuned to BW for further details in this development story.
AJ Woodson
AJ Woodson is the Editor-In-Chief of Black Westchester and Co-Owner of Urban Soul Media Group, the parent company, Host & Producer of the People Before Politics Radio Show. AJ is a Father, Brother, An Author, Journalism Fellow (Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism), Hip-Hop Artist - one third of the legendary underground rap group JVC FORCE known for the single Strong Island, Radio Personality, Hip-Hop Historian, Documentarian, Activist, Criminal Justice Advocate and Freelance Journalist whose byline has appeared in several print publications and online sites including The Source, Vibe, the Village Voice, Upscale, Sonicnet.com, Launch.com, Rolling Out Newspaper, Daily Challenge Newspaper, Spiritual Minded Magazine, Word Up! Magazine, On The Go Magazine and several others.
