5 months ago
Hundreds of Asian-American business owners rallied outside Macon City Hall today to protest the murder of three men at Central Georgia gas stations and convenience stores in recent months.
Eyewitnesses report that apparently dozens of convenience stores owned by Asian-Americans in Central Georgia are closed today in protest of the killings and so that business owners could attend the rally and the funeral for one of the victims, Jaymal Patel.
Accompanied by police cruisers with lights flashing, the group quietly marched to the rally from Hart's Mortuary on Cherry St., where Jaymal Patel's funeral will be held at 2 p.m.. They walked to Rosa Parks Square in front of City Hall, where law enforcement and political leaders addressed the group.
"Your presence and your numbers here today honor them and draw attention to the fact that these are not mere statistics," said Mayor Robert Reichert.
Attorney Stephen Dillard spoke for the business group and called on convenience stores to improve safety measures to prevent crime.
"Approval by the Chief of police prior to the installation of surveillance cameras located in the store, employee training on the operations of the surveillance cameras... employee self-defense training... and more lighting, visibility at the stores," said Dillard.
Marchers wore t-shirts in memory of Dipak Patel and Jaymal Patel.
They also held signs that represented what county they were from as a symbol of community.
Macon lawyer George Greer, speaking for the group, says the business people wanted to call attention to violence against business employees, work with Macon police for solutions to the crime problems, and thank police for their work in arresting suspects in two recent shootings.
Jaymal Patel, shot at a RaceWay station on Mercer University Drive last Friday, is the third man fatally shot at a Central Georgia convenience store in about seven weeks.
In July, a robber shot and killed Danny Patel at the Lina Food store on Irwinton Road in Milledgeville.
Then on August 30, Dipak Patel was killed by a robber at the Chevron store on Riverside Drive in Macon.
A Macon teenager faces murder charges in the RaceWay shooting, and three men face charges in the Chevron case.
The Milledgeville shooting of Danny Patel remains unsolved.
The Middle Georgia Asian American Community Association President Lou Patel says they plan to work with Macon police through Operation Safe Business to prevent crime.
"Do we have cameras in the front, are they being recorded, do we need light here to make it brighter... and they're going to be patrolling the businesses more often," said Lou Patel.
He said all are welcome to join the group, not just Asian Americans.
