Police release video of two officers shooting injured man twice as he lay wounded, parents say non-lethal force should´ve been used.
The Fresno, California police department released body camera videos Wednesday showing two officers fatally shooting an unarmed white man amid renewed scrutiny across the United States over police brutality.
Dylan Noble was shot at least four times, even after he was subdued and laying on the ground June 25 during a traffic stop by two unidentified police officers who thought the 19-year-old was armed, Fresno Police Chief Jerry Dyer told a news conference.
However, in a statement to a local newsradio station, Noble's parents stated that the true culprit for their son's death was the aggressiveness of the officers sent to defuse the situation.
Jason Nelson, Noble's stepfather, questioned the officers' judgement: "Aiming at him, shouting commands. I will shoot you, I will shoot you. What 19-year-old would know what to do?"
Dylan Noble's mother, Veronica Nelson, is still far too distraught to view the video, expressing that she feels as if she were living in "a bad dream."
The release of the videos comes as police are under sharp scrutiny across the country over numerous high-profile police killings of unarmed Black people, sparking widespread protests.
Dyer said the decision to release them was based on public concern over how police handled the incident, which has sparked protests. "I am calling for calm in our community," he said.
The video footage shows Noble getting out of a pick-up truck during a traffic stop and then failing to comply with officers' commands several times.
Noble repeatedly put his right hand behind his back and into his waistband as he walked toward and away from officers who had their weapons drawn toward him, the video showed.
One of the officers told investigators that "he thought Noble was either taunting him or was practicing pulling out a gun," said Dyer, who noted it was later determined that Noble was unarmed.
An officer twice shot Noble, who fell to the ground. He then fired a third round at Noble as he was reaching again under his shirt and into his waistband. A second officer shot Noble when he again reached into his waistband, the video showed.
A criminal and an internal affairs investigation are underway.
Noble's mother has filed a wrongful-death claim against the department, local media reported. The claim stated that Fresno police officers made no attempt to use less than lethal force when her son was confronted by officers in last month's fatal encounter, and charges the City of Fresno with “significant emotional and mental distress as a result of the senseless and brutal shooting death of her son,” according to the Fresno Bee .
“At no time did they use or attempt to use their K-9. At no time did they use or attempt to use a TASER," the complaint said.
The shooting of Noble comes after the U.S. has been rocked by unrest over the killings of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile which re-focused national and international attention on police brutality in the U.S..
The killings of the two men were also captured on video which similarly showed that they were shot dead by by the police despite not posing any threat to the officers.
1 opmerking:
In Baton Rouge staat de politie in ieder geval met 3-0 achter.
You reap what you sow.
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