There were no protests nor will there be for the death of Robert Lawrence. The Alabama man was turning in a stray animal at a local animal shelter when he apparently caused a commotion due to the shelter’s identification requirement. In an ensuing altercation with the police, the man ended up being shot and later died at the hospital.
Robert Lawrence, who police say called himself a ‘sovereign citizen’ but which his lawyer disputes, was reportedly accompanied by a woman and children at the time.Dothan First reported Lawrence became ‘combative’ when asked to produce identification at the animal shelter. Police reportedly first tazed Lawrence to no effect, he was then shot in the abdomen. There is no mention of Lawrence being armed.
Lawrence was taken to the hospital where he died Tuesday night.The Dothan Eagle reported the Alabama State Bureau of Investigations is reviewing the shooting death.Dothan First reported Lawrence had a troubled history, having served ninety days in jail this year for making “Harassing Communications.”Lawrence’s attorney Terry Bullard called the killing of his client “needless” but did not fault the officer who shot Lawrence.
Clearly the police knew Lawrence before this incident but the full details will come out much later, as they always do.