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St. Louis passes resolution for Anthony Lamar Smith

21st Ward Alderman John Collins-Muhammad invited Smith's parents to city hall for the resolution in their son's name.

Some are calling it a show of support. Others a divisive slap in the face to police officers.

Friday, the St. Louis Board of Aldermen invited Anthony Lamar Smith's parents to city hall and passed a resolution in his name. Smith was the 24 year old shot and killed by former St. Louis police officer Jason Stockley whose acquittal in the shooting sparked the past week's protests.

21st Ward Alderman John Collins-Muhammad invited Smith's parents to city hall for the resolution in their son's name - in part, he said, to share in their pain, frustration, and dissatisfaction with the ruling.

"I don't care what the judge said. I care about what my community says," says Collins-Muhammad. "They all understand that St. Louis has a race problem...the first steps we have to take is addressing and acknowledging that we have a race problem and the resolution earlier did exactly that."

But the St. Louis Police Officers Association sees the resolution differently. Business manager Jeff Roorda asked, "How can they honor an armed drug dealer who tried to kill a cop?" which was Stokely's defense.

"They put the H-E-R-O in 'heroin dealer' today," said Roorda.

As for the Mayor Lyda Krewson, when Board President appeared to call her to the front of the chamber Krewson hugged Smith's mother. Through a she said that was all she was doing - hugging a "grieving mother." Adding, the resolution was an action by the Board of Alderman and the Mayor "had nothing to do with the resolution."

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