Seven Seconds and One Shot Into a Burglary Investigation and Melvin Jay is Dead. Artwork

Black and White and Thin Blue Lines

"We refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt.” Black and White and Thin Blue Lines is an original podcast created by two former police officers, Serge Antonin and Clarke Ahlers, who are inspired by the hopeful words of the Reverend Martin Luther King. Serge Antonin is African American. Clarke Ahlers is Caucasian. The podcast is a discussion about current issues in criminal justice and law enforcement, especially where these issues intersect the topic of race.

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Black and White and Thin Blue Lines

Seven Seconds and One Shot Into a Burglary Investigation and Melvin Jay is Dead.

March 09, 2024 • Clarke Ahlers & Serge Antonin • Season 3 • Episode 45

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February 1, 2024 -- Prince George's County, Maryland. Prince George's County Police Officer Braxton Shelton is dispatched to a burglary in progress at an apartment in Suitland. He arrives within a minute of the dispatch, finds the apartment door ajar, and enters by himself. Seven seconds later Shelton fires one shot killing Melvin Jay, who almost certainly was lawfully in the apartment. Prince George's County Police Chief Malik Aziz released Shelton's body worn camera. The Office of the Attorney General's Independent Investigation Division is investigating the fatal shooting. Is this a case of a justified homicide or criminal, civil, and/or administrative misconduct? Serge and Clarke comment upon the case and Serge offers an idea he believes may have prevented the unfortunate outcome.