In the early morning hours of February 19, 2016, the life of 23-year-old Laroz Lee Mitchell, a Black male, was tragically cut short in Lexington, Kentucky. The incident unfolded at the Camelot East lounge on Richmond Road as the bar was closing. Mitchell was shot multiple times and was initially taken to St. Joseph East Hospital before being transferred to the University of Kentucky Chandler Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries before 5 a.m.
His death marked the fifth homicide in the city for that year.
The investigation into Mitchell's death quickly pointed to a suspect. Witnesses at the scene reported a fight that began inside the bar and spilled out into the parking lot. Multiple people identified Clarence 'Pooty' Taylor, 24 years old at the time, as the individual who shot Mitchell. Based on witness accounts, the Lexington Police Department obtained an arrest warrant for Taylor, charging him with murder.
Taylor was arrested and subsequently pleaded not guilty to the murder charge. The case then proceeded through the court system, highlighting the ongoing concerns about gun violence within the community. For those who knew him, Laroz Lee Mitchell's death was a profound loss. A 2011 graduate of Henry Clay High School, he was described as a family man who was loved by many. The legal proceedings against Clarence Taylor sought to bring a measure of justice for a life taken too soon.
