The riots escalated even further and despite the urging of Black leaders, the gathering youth would not end their protests. Mayor Wilbert Smith declared a State of Emergency and asked then-governor George Romney, the father of Mitt Romney, to send in the National Guard.
On September 5, the riots were largely ended but the tensions still remained.
Hunt’s killer was never discovered.
More riots and issues occurred in Benton Harbor, most recently in 2003 after the death of Terrance Shurn, who was killed after a high-speed chase by police ended under curious circumstances.
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Little Known Black History Fact: Benton Harbor Riots 1966 was originally published on blackamericaweb.com
