Gerald Washington
Encyclopedia
Gerald Washington was the mayor
-elect of Westlake, Louisiana
, until he was shot and killed on December 30, 2006. He was scheduled to take office on January 2, 2007, as the first black
mayor in the city's history, elected by voters who were over 80% white. His death triggered accusations that he was the victim of a racially motivated murder, although the Calcasieu Parish coroner
ruled the death a suicide. He was killed by a single gunshot from his own revolver
, and powder was found deep in the wound, which, according to the coroner, indicated that it was pressed against his chest at the time, a sign of suicide. His family accused the Sheriff
's office of doing a poor job, and asked the state police to step in for a more thorough investigation.
The state police report totalled more than 800 pages of documents, and included both additional physical evidence, such as the pattern of blood spatter
s, and investigation of possible motives. According to the investigation, Washington had gambled away hundreds of thousands of dollars from his retirement account, owed about $50,000 to the IRS, and had been sleepless and depressed in the weeks leading up to his death. The family acknowledged that the report was mostly accurate, but remained unconvinced, citing the fact that the fire department had been called in to wash his truck off the night his body was found as a sign of a coverup.
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
-elect of Westlake, Louisiana
Westlake, Louisiana
Westlake is a city in Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana, United States and is part of the Lake Charles Metropolitan Statistical Area. It is considered a suburb of Lake Charles. The population was 4,668 at the 2000 census...
, until he was shot and killed on December 30, 2006. He was scheduled to take office on January 2, 2007, as the first black
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
mayor in the city's history, elected by voters who were over 80% white. His death triggered accusations that he was the victim of a racially motivated murder, although the Calcasieu Parish coroner
Coroner
A coroner is a government official who* Investigates human deaths* Determines cause of death* Issues death certificates* Maintains death records* Responds to deaths in mass disasters* Identifies unknown dead* Other functions depending on local laws...
ruled the death a suicide. He was killed by a single gunshot from his own revolver
Revolver
A revolver is a repeating firearm that has a cylinder containing multiple chambers and at least one barrel for firing. The first revolver ever made was built by Elisha Collier in 1818. The percussion cap revolver was invented by Samuel Colt in 1836. This weapon became known as the Colt Paterson...
, and powder was found deep in the wound, which, according to the coroner, indicated that it was pressed against his chest at the time, a sign of suicide. His family accused the Sheriff
Sheriff
A sheriff is in principle a legal official with responsibility for a county. In practice, the specific combination of legal, political, and ceremonial duties of a sheriff varies greatly from country to country....
's office of doing a poor job, and asked the state police to step in for a more thorough investigation.
The state police report totalled more than 800 pages of documents, and included both additional physical evidence, such as the pattern of blood spatter
Bloodstain pattern analysis
Bloodstain pattern analysis is one of several specialties in the field of forensic science. The use of bloodstains as evidence is not new; however, the application of modern science has brought it to a higher level...
s, and investigation of possible motives. According to the investigation, Washington had gambled away hundreds of thousands of dollars from his retirement account, owed about $50,000 to the IRS, and had been sleepless and depressed in the weeks leading up to his death. The family acknowledged that the report was mostly accurate, but remained unconvinced, citing the fact that the fire department had been called in to wash his truck off the night his body was found as a sign of a coverup.