KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Ralph Yarl, 16, is expected to make a full recovery after Andrew Lester shot him in the head and arm last Thursday.
During a press conference, Lee Merritt, a civil rights attorney representing Yarl's family, said he is making a 'miraculous' recovery.
"His recovery has been miraculous, but it's still difficult," Merritt said. "He suffered such a severe injury, that to complain about anything like a headache seems like a bad idea, because he had a bullet in his brain on Thursday."
Lester has since been charged with with first-degree assault and armed criminal action for shooting Yarl. He posted bond on Tuesday afternoon after turning himself in.
Merritt said the family is satisfied with the extent of charges, but they are looking forward to Lester's conviction and appropriate sentencing.
Still, Merritt said the family is frustrated with the way the Kansas City, Missouri, Police Department handled Lester's initial detainment last Thursday.
KCPD said last week Lester was detained after the shooting, but released the same night after he gave his statement.
In a press conference on Sunday, KCPD Chief of Police Stacey Graves said Lester was released pending further investigation.
Graves said investigators needed to obtain a formal statement from Yarl and compile additional information.
Merritt rebutted that claim, saying Yarl gave police a formal statement on Friday and that Lester was released two hours after his initial detainment on Thursday.
"If they had respected the 24 hour hold and kept him that full 24 hours, he would have never been released," Merritt said. "There wouldn't have been this period of uncertainty today where, we didn't know where Mr. Lester was."
Merritt also thanked Yarl's fellow classmates at Staley High School, who held a unity walk in his honor on Tuesday morning.
"It's such a relief for me and for this family," Merritt said. "In order to have justice, we need to be disruptive, we can't be business usual."
Merritt continued, "So, seeing an entire high school saying, 'No, one of ours is down and justice hasn't been done and so we're not going to go on with business as usual.'"
—
