Clement D. Cooper, a 36-year-old African American man from Columbus, OH, tragically died on July 16, 2015. His death was the result of a violent altercation during a home invasion robbery. Clement and his accomplice, Michael Long, entered a house on Scales Drive with the intent to steal guns. The situation escalated into a fierce confrontation with the occupants of the house.
During the melee, one occupant was beaten unconscious and tied up, another was shot, and a third occupant, Shawn
Bowles, repeatedly stabbed Clement Cooper. In the chaos, Shawn Bowles ultimately strangled Clement Cooper to death. The incident highlighted the extreme dangers associated with home invasions and the potential for violence to escalate rapidly.
Following the incident, Michael Long was arrested and charged with multiple offenses, including murder, aggravated robbery, and kidnapping. In September 2016, Long was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for 25 years. Long maintained his innocence throughout the trial and expressed plans to appeal the conviction.
The case drew significant attention due to the violent nature of the crime and the tragic loss of Clement Cooper. The court proceedings revealed that the confrontation was not racially motivated, despite the presence of a Confederate flag at the house and one occupant's past association with a white-supremacist group. The focus remained on the criminal act and the resulting loss of life.
Clement Cooper's death left a profound impact on his family and community, who remembered him as a loving individual with a close-knit family. His obituary noted that he was predeceased by several family members and survived by his mother, father, children, siblings, and many other relatives and friends. The community mourned the loss of a young man whose life was cut short by a senseless act of violence.
