Family members have claimed the boy, Javonte Gorham, has autism.

Those on both sides of the issue confirmed at this evening's city council meeting the meeting will be held with Mayor Emery Doughtie, City Attorney Gilbert Chichester and City Manager Joseph Scherer.

Many of those in support of the boy held posters, one comparing the April matter to what is currently going on in Ferguson, Missouri, while at least one poster decried racism on the part of Roanoke Rapids police.

The Reverend C.E. McCollum, president of the Halifax County Black Caucus, also mentioned the case of Eric Short, who claims he had a gun put to his head by a Roanoke Rapids officer who reportedly witnessed him spit on his patrol car. “This is justice delayed,” he said, of both cases.

“This town of Roanoke Rapids is about one police stop away from Ferguson, Missouri,” said David Harvey, president of the Halifax County Chapter of the NAACP. “The problem here is the culture of the city.”

Harvey said city council, through its silence on the issue of the current school boundary lines, supports that culture. “It starts with noticing there is not any department heads who look like me. It's hard to believe the city council will not take a stand against your school system. Your silence says you're OK with the school system in your city. The only way it's going to change is with elected officials.”

With the upcoming meeting, Harvey said, “Maybe we can start there.”

Christy Sykes spoke playing the role of Javonte Gorham's mother, Nancy. “When things happen to their children they want to know what I did wrong. She let officers in her home who were looking for a son who was not there. Two police officers awakened him. 'They attacked my baby.' After they brutally attacked him, 'they took my baby away. I'm raising a son that has the mentality of a 7-year-old.'”

Gary Grant, executive director of Concerned Citizens of Tillery, also spoke. “Ms. Gorham is crying from the pain from something that appears to be swept under the rug. Halifax County is the same as Mississippi of the 1950s.”

Grant claimed the city's police department does not have diversity training. “You support a school system that is racist.”

Because Roanoke Rapids is a shopping hub for many in the county, Grant said, “I don't want my nephew to get tased when shopping here.”

The Gorham matter, of which the police department has been cleared of any criminal wrongdoing, centers on police looking for Javonte's brother, 23-year-old Jamonte.

Mrs. Gorham, according to TV news accounts, gave police permission to search the home. She said Javonte, who also goes by Jay, was sleeping when officers entered his room. She reportedly walked in to find him face down on the bed, getting shocked with a stun gun.

Chichester told WRAL at the time the officers absolutely did not know the boy reportedly has autism. Police said he was aggressive.

“The person partially stood up and pushed one of the officers,” Chichester told the TV station then. “It is my understanding that the officers, the Roanoke Rapids police officers that were involved in this, acted appropriately according to all the guidelines.”

Police Chief Andy Jackson, who was not acting chief when the matter occurred, declined to discuss the issue following this evening's meeting.

However, in giving his monthly department report, Jackson did note that officers taking their in-service training were refreshed on Taser policy as well as minority sensitivity training.

He also told council the department is starting a new program called Know Your Cop, a back-to-basics community policing effort that puts officers on the street walking neighborhoods. “Feedback from the community is vital. The community and police need to work together. You need to interact with your community. We will go on neighborhood visits when people are at home or in their yards and get input from the community.”

Scherer declined immediate comment following the meeting as it is possibly a pending legal matter since the Gorham family has retained counsel.

“We still have some investigating,” Chichester said following the meeting. “We have the meeting scheduled. They requested a meeting and we plan to meet with them in good faith to get input from them.”