Several Erie residents used the county-council public-comment period on Nov. 20 to urge officials and the district attorney to pursue stronger charges and to end what they described as an official silence over the July killing of a man speakers called “Cello.” Speakers also tied their calls for accountability to longer-standing local concerns about racial disparities and community investment.

"It's been 141 days since his murder," said Mimi O'Connor, identifying herself as a resident of the city of Erie. "The deafening silence by those in authority has given us X-ray vision, and I'm gonna name it, into the racism in the city of Erie." O'Connor told the council she and other activists have carried a photo of the victim into protests and the voting booth and urged continued public pressure on officials.

Jerry Roberts, who described himself as a lifelong Erie resident and said he spoke on behalf of Justice for Cello, told the district attorney "a charge of manslaughter is not acceptable by our community. Charge of first degree murder is." Roberts also urged the county to make good on promised funding for community programs and the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Commission (DEIC), saying shortfalls amount to broken promises.

Family members also told the council how the killing has affected their holidays and daily life. "This grief hurts," said Shamelle Henderson, who identified herself as the victim's partner, describing the practical and emotional losses for the victim's children and family and saying, "I don't wanna be this bitter person." Other speakers — including young people and community organizers — described fear of law enforcement, mistrust in the justice process and a pledge to continue demonstrations until officials respond.

Multiple speakers linked demands for criminal accountability to broader budget and policy decisions. Several urged full funding for the DEIC and organizations serving BIPOC communities; Jerry Roberts and others cited specific ARPA and county-budget figures while urging the council to restore or increase previously promised allocations.

County council did not take formal action on the case during the meeting; after public comment the body moved into procedural and budget business, in which members debated and ultimately adopted the county's 2026 budget and set the millage rate.

Next procedural step: The council's regular meeting schedule shown at the end of the session listed the next Finance and Personnel Committee meetings for Dec. 4, 2025, and the next regular County Council meeting in December.