Transit Agency Assisting with Funeral Costs for Shooting Victim
By Jessie Halladay
jhalladay@courier-journal.com
TARC officials have agreed to help with the funeral expenses of a man killed after trying to break up a dispute on a bus Saturday night.
"It's the right thing to do and it's the helpful thing to do," said Barry Barker, executive director of the Transit Authority of River City.
Timothy D. Barbour died Saturday night after he was shot while getting off a bus at 10th Street and Broadway.
The shooting apparently occurred after Barbour, 26, and another man tried to intervene in a dispute between some men on the bus and some of the female passengers, said Lt. Barry Wilkerson, head of the Louisville Metro Police homicide unit. The second man was injured in the shooting.
Police arrested 22-year-old Apollo R. Avery, charging him with murder, first-degree assault and several counts of wanton endangerment.
Detectives were reviewing video taken on the bus.
Barker said he met with Barbour's family yesterday to share his condolences. He said the family expressed a need for assistance with the cost of the funeral and burial and TARC agreed to help.
"Our hearts really do go out to those folks," Barker said.
Shekita Barbour, Timothy's older sister, said she is relieved that TARC is helping to pay for the funeral because the family could not afford it.
"I didn't know what I was going to do," she said.
While the loss of her brother is devastating, she said she takes some comfort in knowing that he died trying to help someone else.
"He didn't have a choice but to step in," Barbour said. "He went out like a hero. Anyone with good morals would have helped."
TARC officials are going over their policies to see if there is anything that could be done to improve safety.
Barker said TARC emphasizes safety, using video surveillance and having uniformed and nonuniformed security officers on buses.
Earlier in the evening, an off-duty police officer was working security on the bus where the incident occurred, Barker said.
"We're going to continue to see what we can do better," he said.
Reporter Jessie Halladay can be reached at (502) 582-4081.
jhalladay@courier-journal.com
TARC officials have agreed to help with the funeral expenses of a man killed after trying to break up a dispute on a bus Saturday night.
"It's the right thing to do and it's the helpful thing to do," said Barry Barker, executive director of the Transit Authority of River City.
Timothy D. Barbour died Saturday night after he was shot while getting off a bus at 10th Street and Broadway.
The shooting apparently occurred after Barbour, 26, and another man tried to intervene in a dispute between some men on the bus and some of the female passengers, said Lt. Barry Wilkerson, head of the Louisville Metro Police homicide unit. The second man was injured in the shooting.
Police arrested 22-year-old Apollo R. Avery, charging him with murder, first-degree assault and several counts of wanton endangerment.
Detectives were reviewing video taken on the bus.
Barker said he met with Barbour's family yesterday to share his condolences. He said the family expressed a need for assistance with the cost of the funeral and burial and TARC agreed to help.
"Our hearts really do go out to those folks," Barker said.
Shekita Barbour, Timothy's older sister, said she is relieved that TARC is helping to pay for the funeral because the family could not afford it.
"I didn't know what I was going to do," she said.
While the loss of her brother is devastating, she said she takes some comfort in knowing that he died trying to help someone else.
"He didn't have a choice but to step in," Barbour said. "He went out like a hero. Anyone with good morals would have helped."
TARC officials are going over their policies to see if there is anything that could be done to improve safety.
Barker said TARC emphasizes safety, using video surveillance and having uniformed and nonuniformed security officers on buses.
Earlier in the evening, an off-duty police officer was working security on the bus where the incident occurred, Barker said.
"We're going to continue to see what we can do better," he said.
Reporter Jessie Halladay can be reached at (502) 582-4081.
posted by Steve Hemenway at
Thursday, May 15, 2008
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