Marne Toogood, a 44-year-old Black junk dealer from Chester, Pennsylvania, was killed on May 31, 1981, after a confrontation with police. Officers had been called because Toogood was reportedly threatening children with an ax. When he opened his door holding an ax handle, Chester Police Corporal Thomas Boden, 42, fired three shots. The third shot was fatal and was fired after Toogood had fallen to his knees and one of the officers had kicked the ax handle away.

The shooting prompted large protests from Chester’s Black community, which organized marches and demanded accountability. Mayor Joseph Battle suspended Boden with pay and asked the FBI to assist in the investigation. Boden was charged with murder, voluntary manslaughter, and involuntary manslaughter; he was later found guilty of involuntary manslaughter and sentenced.

Were there witnesses in the neighborhood who saw what happened at Toogood’s home and can add details about the moments before and after the shooting?