From police reporter Christine Vendel in The Star this morning:
Shooting by police puzzles man's family
Relatives of a man wounded by police Tuesday night said Thursday that they wanted questions answered.
An officer shot Anthony N. Cherco, 20, of Kansas City in the abdomen about 11 p.m. Tuesday. Cherco, who won two professional boxing matches as a super featherweight in 2004, was in serious condition Thursday, relatives said.
Cherco’s uncle, Mike Moreno, said relatives had not been allowed to visit Cherco. Police said he was under guard at the hospital.
Two officers said they stopped Cherco’s car in the 500 block of Spruce Avenue after he tried to pick up a prostitute.
Moreno said his nephew “was no angel” but doubted that he approached a prostitute, and wondered why two officers could not arrest Cherco without shooting him.
Police spokesman Capt. Rich Lockhart said the two officers fought Cherco for 90 seconds. The fight occurred on sloped ground, which made it hard for officers to get their footing, he said. The officer who fired his gun said he nearly lost consciousness after Cherco tackled and choked him.
“They tried to bring this to a peaceful conclusion, but they could not,” Lockhart said.
Anthony Cherco on www.boxrec.com
Photo from www.kcboxingnews.com
