LOS ANGELES – On April 23, when 10,000 students return from spring break to classes at Citrus College, a tree-rich campus set below picturesque foothills in Glendora, Calif., they will be one short—Kendrec McDade.
McDade was killed the night of March 24 in Pasadena, about 17 miles to the west, when two Pasadena police officers shot him after being alerted to a possible armed robbery. McDade, however, was unarmed. And, as it turned out, the victim who reported the robbery to police later admitted that he never saw a gun.
The incident has provoked outrage in the African-American community in Pasadena and nearby Los Angeles as yet another example of young Black men losing their lives under questionable circumstances. McDade’s death occurred in the shadow of the fatal shooting of Trayvon Martin in late February at the hands of Florida neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman.
Since McDade’s passing, Citrus College administrators have refused to comment or to allow the 19-year-old’s professors or coaches to speak out. Pasadena Police Chief Phillip Sanchez, however, has held several public and private meetings to explain
what occurred and to insist that his department’s investigation will be thorough. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s Office of Independent Review, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office and the FBI also are conducting inquiries.
McDade’s family has filed a federal civil rights lawsuit as well.
Kendrec Lavelle “Mac” McDade was a standout football player and track and field athlete, at Azusa High School, where a “No Guts, No Glory” award he won remains on display. According to family and friends, he was interested in a legal career.
