Family Members Demand Justice For Teen Gunned Down On 18th Birthday

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) - Five days after a young man was gunned down after celebrating his 18th birthday, his family is demanding that his shooter, who has not been charged, be brought to justice.

Friends and family of Jacob Green gathered outside the Sacramento County District Attorney's Office on Monday, demanding Jacob's shooter be charged. However, authorities say they are still trying to figure out if the shooter acted in self-defense.

Jacob's brother Jordan says the shooter's claim of self-defense is a lie.

"I was right there. I was 10 yards away from my brother when the shot was fired," explained Jordan Exford. "I get to the front of the yard and he's face-to-face with the shooter. And the shooter shot him point-blank in the stomach."

Family members say Jacob walked a few houses down in his Foothill Farms neighborhood last Wednesday to bring his girlfriend back to his birthday party.

He knocked on the door at 3 a.m. and got into an argument with another woman at the home. Deputies say the shooter, a man his in 30s, also came outside. When the argument escalated, the man shot the unarmed 18-year-old once. Jacob later died at the hospital.

Deputies detained the gunman for questioning but say he was not arrested and has not been charged.

That is sparking outrage from some.

"We just wanna be heard and let people know Jacob wasn't just another poor black kid from the ghetto; he was important to a lot of people," said rally organizer Paula Dial. "My boys grew up with him. He was like a son to me."

A spokesman for the sheriff's department says "there was clearly a question as to whether the shooter committed a criminal act or acted in self-defense."

Deputy Jason Ramos calls the situation "rare" admitting he couldn't remember the last time it's happened.

The Sacramento County District Attorney's Office is now handling the case. The DA's office tells CBS13 no decision has been made on whether to file charges.

That answer does not sit well with Green's supporters.

"There's no reason he shouldn't be charged, he needs to be charged," Jacob's friend Buddha Johashen said.

Jacob's friends and family promise this won't be the last rally they'll hold, saying they will be around as long as it takes to get justice for Jacob.

The District Attorney's Office says it is still waiting on some reports and there is no timetable for a decision.