Homestead family struggles with officer's decision to kill Edward Foster

Protest goes on for hours outside of police department Friday

HOMESTEAD, Fla. – Some claim Edward Foster III was on his knees with his hands up when a police officer shot him. Others said he was going to shoot his gun when a police officer shot him dead.

Foster's twin sister, Andrina Foster, and other protesters said they want to know why a Homestead police officer killed him July 13. On Friday, she was shouting outside of the police department.

"My hands are up! Please don't shoot me," she said. "Please don't shoot me like you did my brother."

A memorial at the site where Foster was shot was full of items that were red and white -- the colors affiliated with the feared "Bloods" gang. Foster was linked to gang activity and was on probation for attempted murder when he died, police said.

Foster had a 9 mm Sig Sauer pistol, police said. Yet his sister is convinced that the gun wasn't his, because he had turned his life around.

"You won't give us any information," Andrina Foster said. "We are reaching out, reaching out, reaching out and no one is reaching back."

He wasn't pointing a weapon at police officer Anthony Green, his sister said. But she wasn't at the scene.  Toneric Collins and another witness claim they saw him on his knees -- just blocks away from his home.

Green was responding to reports that there was a gunman near a construction site near Southwest 187the Avenue and 328th Street, Miami-Dade police said. His life was in danger when he fired his weapon, police said.

"Get Officer Anthony Green Off The Streets," said a T-shirt Foster's sister was giving away.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement was investigating the shooting. And on Friday, Green was working at the police station, while on administrative duty, Detective Fernando Morales said.

This is the third time Green is under investigation for killing a man, police said. The Miami-Dade County State Attorney's Office determined Green was justified in using deadly force in the cases of Jason Williams in May 2005 and Anthony Cinotti in September 2007. 

Morales said Green killed Cinotti to save the life of a mother, whom Cinotti was stabbing.

"He is a highly decorated officer," Morales said. "He is very proactive and when you have a proactive officer, they are more prone to incidents."

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