CHARLESTON, W.Va. — A grieving mother believes there are people who know the man who shot and killed her son at restaurant and grill on the West Side of Charleston on Memorial Day weekend.
Alvernita Coleman said Charleston police have had little cooperation from dozens of people who were at the site along Railroad Ave. when her son Dimitri Coleman, 29, was shot multiple times in the early morning hours of May 25.
She’s making a personal plea for people to come forward.
“Somebody knows something and somebody saw something. They aren’t saying or doing anything. They are not being courageous to come forward,” Coleman told MetroNews Tuesday.
The shooter ran into an alley on foot, towards Watts Street. Those at the grill shot at him as he ran away, police said.
Investigators have described the shooter as an older black man wearing a black jacket and black pants.
Alvernita Coleman said there’s no way this man appeared out of nowhere.
“I need someone to have guts and courage to come forward and let them know where this person is because my son deserves justice, he does,” Coleman said.
She describes her son as fun-loving, cool and respectful but she said he wasn’t a saint. She said she didn’t know of any enemies. She admits she struggles that the man shot Dimitri in the back of the head and then three other times.
“He added more insult to the injury–three more shots. That was unnecessary. That one shot did it and there was no other need for three more shots,” she said. “And if you are so tough why did you run? To me that’s cowardly. You’re not a man that’s just coward.”
Charleston Police Chief of Detectives Lt. Tony Hazelett previously said it was odd that someone grabs a person by the throat and then shoots them multiple times.
Alvernita Coleman said there remain many unanswered questions but she believes there are people that have the answers.
“They know this man and no one is coming forth to say anything and I believe they know his whereabouts also,” she said.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Charleston Police at 304-348-6480.