Re: As Dontie Mitchell faces murder charge, community members react

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Albany — Advocates and activists are reacting to Dontie Mitchell's
recent arrest and indictment, saying they hope his message isn't
lost in the midst of his decision that now has him behind bars once
again.

"He was someone who came out [of incarceration] with a positive
message, and I don't want that be drowned out or forgotten," Lukee
Forbes, a friend of Dontie Mitchell's and also a formerly
incarcerated individual, says.

Mitchell, a voice against violence in the Capital Region, was
arrested last week, accused of firing a gun into a crowd of people
during an altercation in Cohoes on August 11th. Shieer Leggett, of
Albany, was killed by gunfire during the same incident. On Friday
evening, Mitchell was indicted on a 2nd Degree murder charge. He was
initially charged with criminal possession of a weapon and reckless
endangerment in connection with the shooting.

Mitchell, who had served nearly three decades in prison following a
robbery in 1997, was granted clemency by former Governor Andrew
Cuomo in 2021.

"There's been thousands and thousands who have had their sentences
commuted or have been on parole, and against all odds, they've
managed to pick up the pieces of their lives and become members of
the families again and their community," Dr. Alice Green of The
Center for Law and Justice, says.

He has spoken out against violence, but also what he believes to be
a lack of resources and support as he continued to struggle with
employment and housing following his incarceration.

"He was someone who was expressing the urgent need for resources
certainly around housing and employment," Forbes says. "Because
every time you'd see him he was always trying to give back to the
community, or find a sustainable job or sustainable living."

Mitchell founded the Money Gang Youth Group, and before the arrest
was often seen at the State Capital raising funds to help facilitate
the future of the young men and teens he was mentoring. Forbes says
Mitchell was facing post-incarceration challenges, but still pouring
his energy into the young individuals he was working with. Forbes
says he wishes Mitchell called him on Friday, before heading to the
altercation in Cohoes.

"Individuals like him should reach out to other organizations that
are doing similar work like a SNUG or something like that," Forbes
says. "Just to make sure we all know what's going on, so we are
protected in situations like this, that he wouldn't be there alone."

The calls for more support continue, which they hope will result in
better decisions, to avoid a harmful situation. When it comes to
funding, $11 million in this year's State Budget is going towards
reentry services, with recent emphasis towards health insurance and
job services. But, Assemblyman John McDonald says they're also using
gun violence funding to avoid situations where a rearrest could
happen.

"If we can provide resources to help individuals to understand that
there's a different way to deal with conflict, which is what these
programs are all about, to stop something from happening," McDonald
says.

Dontie Mitchell's next court date has not yet been scheduled.