Family of 2 killed in crash with former officer fears justice will not be served in Tennessee

Heated words were said outside the courtroom at 201 Poplar Tuesday, stemming from a case involving a former Memphis police officer indicted for car crash that killed two people.Alex Beard is facing two counts of vehicular homicide and three counts of aggravated assault.Investigators say in August 2012 he was driving 94 miles per hour in a 40 MPH zone when his police cruiser collided with another car, killing Deloise Epps, 54, and her 13-year-old daughter, Mackala Ross. Investigators say Beard was not using a lights or siren as he responded to a call.Family of Epps and Ross were in the courtroom. Afterward, they spoke to media about how they are feeling about the court proceedings."This man didn't run over a cat or a dog," said Epps' fiance, Michael Ross. "These are the people he killed. These are the people that he killed."Every day is painful for Michael Ross, who was also injured in the car accident that killed his family."I had a stroke, my neck come off my spine," he said.
Ross survived. But the pain he feels as a result of his injuries is nothing compared to the pain he feels from losing his daughter and fiancé in the crash."I'm getting robbed without a gun," he added. "That's the way I feel."Linda Walker is related to the victims. She worries that justice will not be served."The judge, the lawyer, the prosecutor, they hitting on nothing as far as justice in Memphis, Tennessee, for killing my God child and my best friend," she said. "I already seen it. They gonna let him walk 'cause he's a police officer and because he's white."Both parties were in court Tuesday for a discovery hearing, which is held in order for both sides to look at the evidence in the case.Afterward, attorneys overheard the commotion outside the courtroom."This case is being handled no differently than any other case in the system," said Alex Beard's defense attorney, Leslie Ballin.Beard was fired six months after the car accident.Jury selection is set for September 10.