To make their point, local activists and residents held a rally Nov. 12 outside city hall. In addition to the deaths, Blacks are uneasy with changing police versions of what happened in the deaths, and in one case why the man was stopped at all. Police say they approached Mr. Owensby after he was leaving a gas station. Words were exchanged and as an officer was about to handcuff Mr. Owensby, he tried to flee. This led to a struggle before five officers took him into custody.
Eyewitness accounts of what happened differ from police reports.
Several witnesses said after Mr. Owensby tried to run he stopped and turned around as if to surrender. Others say the officers tackled Mr. Owensby and choked him with a baton before putting him into the squad car. It was too little too late and Mr. Owensby was pronounced dead at University Hospital. Police official statements are still unclear as to why Mr. Owensby was detained. The first police account said the Owensby arrest was for a prior offense.