Rev. Al Sharpton attends Alvin Motley Jr. funeral held in Hillside, IL; family demands justice

CHICAGO (WLS) -- A Chicago family said their last goodbye Wednesday to a son and brother who was killed by a security guard.

Alvin Motley Jr. was visiting family when he was shot to death in Memphis, allegedly after an argument over loud music.

On Wednesday, his family honored the life of their beloved son and brother at Freedom Baptist Church in Hillside.

"My son was my best friend," Alvin Motley Sr. said.

But Alvin Motley, Jr's end became his family's beginning in the fight for justice.

"His murder was unjust, and it was just that," Motley's cousin Paul said. "A clear case of racial profiling."

SEE ALSO | Chicago man fatally shot by Memphis security guard after argument over loud music

Last week the 48-year-old was shot and killed on his way to visit family in Memphis, Tenn., after he got into an argument over loud music with a security guard at a Kroger fuel center. His girlfriend told police that as Motley approached Gregory Livingston, she heard a gunshot and saw him fall.

"Loud music is not a sentence to death," Rev. Al Sharpton said.

"It doesn't matter what was the volume of his music. It doesn't matter that it was hip hop music. You cannot kill a Black man, because he's listening to hip hop music," said Ben Crump, attorney for the Motley family.

Motley's family said the Berwyn-born man was an entrepreneur having started his own clothing line. Many at his funeral were wearing his apparel.

"He was more than just a family member," cousin Robert Motley said. "He was more than just a brother, a son, but he was a human being."

Motley's family called for the shooting surveillance to be released to the public. Crump and Sharpton said Kroger should also take responsibility for what happened, and called on the public to take action.

"We will not shop, where our music, and the volume of our music can cause our lives," Sharpton said.

"We want to continue to encourage everybody to make a joyful noise, all across America at every Kroger to play the music for Motley, because Alvin Motley's life matters," Crump said.

Motley's father knows none of this will bring his boy back, but will give his life meaning he says he deserves.

"I just want justice for my son. That's all that matters," Motley Sr. said.