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64165528 | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shooting%20of%20David%20Dorn | Shooting of David Dorn | In the early hours of June 2, 2020, David Dorn, a 77-year-old retired police captain, was fatally shot after interrupting the burglary of a pawn shop in The Ville, St. Louis. The incident occurred on the same night as protests in St. Louis, Missouri over the murder of George Floyd. However, the protests were several miles away and had disbanded a few hours earlier near the Metropolitan Police Headquarters downtown when police violently clashed with protestors.
Persons involved
Victim
David Dorn (October 29, 1942 – June 2, 2020) was an African-American captain in the Metropolitan Police Department, City of St. Louis, working there from November 1969 to October 2007. He later served as police chief of Moline Acres from February 2008.
Accused
The accused shooter, Stephan Cannon, is a 24-year-old man from St. Louis.
Incident
On June 2, 2020, Dorn was discovered on the sidewalk in front of Lee's Pawn and Jewelry in The Ville around 2:30 a.m. Despite a city-wide curfew, he had reportedly been responding to the burglar alarm of his friend's pawn shop when he was fatally shot. His death was streamed on Facebook Live.
The thirteen-minute video was briefly taken down by Facebook before being reinstated with a warning screen and has been viewed more than 94,000 times . In the video, a young man states: "Oh my God, cuz....They just killed this old man at the pawn shop over some TVs....c'mon, man, that's somebody's granddaddy."
Investigation
Crime Stoppers offered a $10,000 reward for information leading to an arrest; this amount has been raised to $56,700.
On June 5, St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department Homicide Section released surveillance footage to the public to provide clues and evidence in their investigation of David Dorn's death. The video captured a total of seven suspects trespassing at Lee's Pawn and Jewelry at 4123 Martin Luther King Drive. The footage was taken on June 2 from 2:13 a.m. to 2:16 a.m. All suspects in the video had their faces concealed. Six wore masks, and one had a white shirt wrapped around his face and head. At least two of the men were seen armed with handguns. One person pulled his handgun to target the entrance before joining the others. Another suspect had a cut on his left palm. The reward for additional information that could capture the criminals has been raised by $6,000 since the surveillance video's release.
On June 7, a 24-year-old suspect named Stephan Cannon was arrested. He faces charges of first-degree murder, robbery, and being a felon in possession of a firearm. As of June 18, a total of six persons have been charged, two for murder and four for burglary and stealing.
Aftermath
A small memorial was quickly set up outside the shop, with a handwritten sign stating; "Y'all killed a black man because 'they' killed a black man??? Rest in peace." St. Louis Police Chief John Hayden Jr. ordered all the departments officers to wear black mourning bands on their police badges to honor Dorn.
Several GoFundMe fundraisers quickly sprang up online, although none of them were endorsed by family members. A Fundly account has been endorsed by the family and they have asked for support of organizations such as CrimeStoppers or BackStoppers.
Dorn's widow, Ann Dorn, spoke in favor of Donald Trump at the 2020 Republican National Convention. She spoke about her husband's death, over the objections of their daughters who stated that he was opposed to Donald Trump.
Reactions
His widow, Ann Marie Dorn, told reporters that her husband was a friend of the owner of the store and would routinely check on the business when the alarm would go off.
The former St. Louis County Police Chief Tim Finch called Dorn a "true public servant".
Missouri Governor Mike Parson related the shooting of Dorn with the murder of George Floyd, tweeting that neither should have died, and that violence and criminal activity that had nothing to do with protests against Floyd's murder needed to stop.
The Ethical Society of the Police, an organization which supports black police officers in the United States, tweeted "(Dorn) was murdered by looters at a pawnshop. He was the type of brother that would've given his life to save them if he had to. Violence is not the answer, whether it's a citizen or officer. RIP Captain!"
References
2020 deaths
Deaths by firearm in Missouri
Deaths by person in the United States
Filmed killings
Incidents during the George Floyd protests
Crime in St. Louis
June 2020 events in the United States
2020 in Missouri
George Floyd protests in the United States
Protests in the United States
Black Lives Matter
African-American-related controversies |
64165804 | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shooting%20of%20Eyad%20al-Hallaq | Shooting of Eyad al-Hallaq | On 30 May 2020, Eyad al-Hallaq, (Arabic: إياد الحلاق ’iiad alhilaq) a 32-year-old autistic Palestinian man, was shot and killed by Israeli Police after not stopping at the Lions' Gate checkpoint in Jerusalem when he was ordered to do so by officers stationed nearby. He fled from the area and police attempted to "neutralize" Halaq during the chase with at least seven shots fired in his direction.
Halaq's relatives stated he was an autistic man who was heading to a school for students with special needs that he attended daily when he was shot by police. Friends and family of Halaq and the Secretary General of the Palestine Liberation Organization, Saab Erekat, have drawn parallels with police brutality in the United States and the murder of George Floyd.
Incident
Halaq and his teacher were walking on 30 May 2020 to the Elwyn El Quds center which provides services for children and adults with disabilities when they approached the Lions' Gate checkpoint. The checkpoint was part of the daily walk from Halaq's home in East Jerusalem's Wadi al-Joz area to the special-needs center in the Old City, which he had attended since 2014. When he reportedly stepped through the arches of the Gate, officers on duty became suspicious when he placed his hand into his pocket for his cell phone. He had apparently not understood the shouted commands from the officers to halt, but fled on foot and hid in a garbage room. His father told reporters that the teacher attempted to tell police that Halaq was disabled and to check his identity, but officers maintained a distance and opened fire.
In a statement the Israeli police claimed that Halaq was believed to be carrying a weapon after officers spotted an object that looked like a pistol. When he failed to obey their calls to halt, officers gave chase. A local television station reported that he was chased into a dead-end alley, and a senior officer orders a halt in fire after entering the alley. A second officer reportedly ignored orders and fired about six or seven shots from a M-16 rifle which killed Halaq. He was found to not be in possession of a weapon when he was searched after his death.
Investigation
Following protocol, the officers involved in the shooting were questioned afterwards, and one issued a statement of condolences to Halaq's family through his lawyer in an interview with Israeli Army Radio. Reportedly the officer who continued to fire was a new recruit and his lawyer has argued that he thought he was in real danger.
Relatives of Halaq have demanded any footage of the killing and chase be used in the investigation and for the family to be able to view it, as the Old City is covered extensively by security cameras.
Hallaq's parents have petitioned the High Court of Justice to conclude the investigation of the case and put the two police officers involved on trial. On 21 October 2020 Israeli prosecutors recommended that the police officer who shot and killed al-Hallaq be charged with manslaughter.
The Israel Police Internal Investigations Department opened an investigation into the incident. In October 2020, the Israeli Justice Ministry announced that the shooter would be charged with reckless manslaughter pending a hearing to dispute the charges.
On 17 June 2021, the police officer was charged with "reckless homicide".
Aftermath
A protest was staged in front of the Church of Nativity in Bethlehem on 2 June, against police brutality, the murder of George Floyd, and the death of Halaq, following similar protests in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv on 30 May. Others used social media to protest with the hashtag #PalestinianLivesMatter while over a thousand mourners attended his funeral.
Reactions
Halaq's sister Diana told reporters that the police officer who shot her brother should be imprisoned but that she believed the officer would remain unpunished as her family were Palestinian. The leader of the main Arab party in Parliament, Ayman Odeh, echoed concerns about the lack of punishment for the officers, using Twitter to post concerns about an "expected cover-up" and that justice would only be done when the "Palestinian people know freedom and independence".
Benny Gantz, the Alternate Prime Minister of Israel, discussed the issue at a weekly meeting of the Israeli cabinet the next day, stating the government was sorry about the incident and shared in the families grief while calling for a swift investigation. Benjamin Netanyahu was also in attendance and did not comment on the incident. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called the killing a "war crime" and Hamas issued warnings of a new intifada.
The United Nations' Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights called the killing another case of "the routine use of lethal force by Israeli Security forces against Palestinians in Gaza and in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem". The statement continued by stressing the need for the least force possible to be used in any situation. It has also charged Israel with not being transparent about the rules of engagement, that were against international law regulations.
On 7 June 2020, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed his condolences and said that he "expected a full investigation into the matter." He also said the incident was a "tragedy."
See also
Extrajudicial killing
List of violent incidents in the Israeli–Palestinian conflict, 2020
Death of Mohammad Habali
Notes
References
2020 deaths
Police brutality in the 2020s
2020 scandals
2020s in Jerusalem
May 2020 events in Asia
Israeli–Palestinian conflict in Jerusalem
Deaths by firearm in the West Bank
People killed by Israeli security forces |
64166268 | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shooting%20of%20William%20Leonard | Shooting of William Leonard | William Anthony Leonard (1949-March 9, 1968) was a 19 year old African-American teenager who was shot and killed by an LAPD officer Larry N. Fultz.
Shooting
Leonard had been babysitting for Augustus and Barbara Mallard at 557 W. Imperial Hwy., to earn extra money. Police showed up at the home in response to a call that August Mallard had been threatening to kill his wife Barbara. Upon arrival, officers found August Mallard waving a pistol, Fultz approached a back window to question Barbara Mallard when he saw Leonard opening a window in the bathroom of the home. Lutz shot and killed Leonard, who had his arms raised and was facing away from the window.
Following his death in 1968, Jeff and Josephine Leonard filed a lawsuit for $1,000,000 (). Los Angeles City Council recommended it be denied, but voted unanimously to award a $25,000 () settlement 4 years later in 1972. It was the first settlement for police misconduct in Los Angeles' history.
References
African Americans shot dead by law enforcement officers in the United States
Law enforcement controversies
1968 deaths
Los Angeles Police Department |
64179009 | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shooting%20of%20Sean%20Monterrosa | Shooting of Sean Monterrosa | Sean Monterrosa was a 22-year-old Latino American man who was fatally shot on June 2, 2020, by Vallejo police officer Jarrett Tonn. Monterrosa was on his knees and had his hands above his waist when Tonn shot him through the windshield of his unmarked police pickup truck. The police later said Tonn shot him because he erroneously believed a hammer in Monterrosa's pocket was a gun. Monterrosa later died at a local hospital.
The event sparked outrage in the Bay Area, particularly in Vallejo, which has a long history of police violence, excessive force complaints, and high-profile killings, including the February 2018 shooting of Ronnell Foster and the February 2019 shooting of Willie McCoy.
Background
Sean Monterrosa (age 22) was of Argentinean descent. He grew up in San Francisco and attended an arts high school. He had worked for a Boys & Girls Club and had recently been working as a carpenter. Less than an hour before Monterrosa was shot, he texted his sister a petition demanding justice for George Floyd, who was murdered by Minneapolis police a week earlier. Monterrosa was laid to rest on June 19, 2020. Monterrosa had prior arrests on suspicion of theft, shoplifting, shooting into a home, attempted murder, and weapons charges.
Jarrett Tonn has been a police officer in the Vallejo Police Department since 2014, after working for the Galt Police Department from 2007 to 2014. Monterrosa's killing was the fourth time in five years that Jarrett Tonn had shot at a person while on duty, including two shootings within six weeks in 2017 and a shooting in 2015 where Tonn fired 18 times. None of the three prior shootings resulted in a death and Tonn was cleared of wrongdoing by internal investigations in each case. Fifteen days after the fatal shooting of Monterrosa, Tonn was named in an unrelated excessive force and civil rights lawsuit in federal court.
Vallejo Police Department Over the last decade, Vallejo police have shot 32 people, 18 of whom were killed, in which time no officer has been fired for their role in a shooting. As of May 2019, the department had the highest per capita rate of police shootings in Northern California. Vallejo police killed people at a per capita rate over four times as high as neighboring city Richmond, a city with a similar population and similar high crime rate.
Incident
Monterrosa was killed at 12:30 a.m. on June 2, while the city of Vallejo was under curfew in response to looting. Police did not reveal his death until a June 3 news conference. Police chief Shawny Williams said police were responding to a report of a possible looting at a branch of Walgreens and when officers arrived they saw 10 to 12 people in the parking lot. Two vehicles, a black sedan and a silver pickup truck, fled the area, resulting in a car chase where the black car rammed an officer's car and injured an officer.
Three detectives who were not involved in the chase arrived at the scene, in an unmarked pickup truck. Two detectives were in the front seat, and one was in the rear. As the truck arrived at the scene, the detective in the backseat mounted and aimed his rifle; the body camera he was wearing did not record sound in the seconds preceding the encounter. Just as the truck came to a stop, the detective in the back seat, later determined to be Jarrett Tonn, fired a rifle five times, through the windshield of the vehicle. One bullet struck Monterrosa in the back of the head. Immediately upon exiting the truck Tonn was recorded saying "What did he point at us?" The driver responded "I don't know man." Tonn then shouted "Hey, he pointed a gun at us!" At no point in the immediate aftermath of the incident was the shooting officer separated from other involved officers.
Tonn claimed Monterrosa appeared to be running towards the black sedan involved in the chase but he suddenly stopped, took a kneeling position, and placed his hands above his waist. No firearms were found with Monterrosa. The involved detectives claim that they mistook the end of a 15-inch hammer sticking out of his sweatshirt pocket for a gun.
Investigations
Investigations into the shooting
In June 2020, U.S. Representative Mike Thompson and Assemblyperson Tim Grayson called for an independent investigation into the shooting, with Grayson saying that "it is absolutely unacceptable that the public was forced to wait for over 24 hours to learn of the conditions of those involved in the shooting," regardless of the circumstances.
On July 2, 2020, Solano County District Attorney Krishna Abrams announced that she would recuse herself from investigations into the shooting, despite her office's key role in potential criminal charges against Tonn. California Attorney General Xavier Becerra and the California Department of Justice refused to investigate the shooting in place of the recused District Attorney. On July 17, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi called for an FBI investigation into the killing and the Vallejo Police Department. As of April 2021, no federal, state, or county investigation into the shooting has occurred.
Release of body camera footage
The Monterrosa family called for the release of videos related to the shooting, including police body camera footage, video from the police cruiser, and surveillance video from Walgreens. On June 16, 2020, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors passed a resolution urging the city of Vallejo to release the body camera video of the incident.
Body camera footage was eventually released several weeks after the shooting. The footage does not show Monterrosa before he was shot, but shows Tonn firing from inside his car before he had fully stopped his vehicle. Tonn asked the driver, "What did he point at us?" to which the driver responded, "I don't know, man." Tonn is heard shouting "This is not what I fucking needed today!"
Release of information
On June 2, 2020, at 4:08 am, police released a statement indicating that there had been an "officer-involved shooting" but declined to offer specifics on whether it was fatal and who was involved. Monterrosa had been declared dead two and a half hours before that press conference took place. At 3:00 pm on the afternoon of June 3, 2020 the Vallejo police chief announced that the previously disclosed shooting involved an officer fatally shooting someone. When asked to explain the delay in informing the public that an officer had killed someone, the chief stated that at the time of the initial statement Monterrosa had not been pronounced dead. In media reports on June 10, 2020 the public learned that the police chief's statement on June 3 was not accurate information.
In the later-released body camera footage of the incident, Tonn is heard saying first that Monterrossa pointed something at the police vehicle, then saying that Monterrossa pointed a gun at the police vehicle. In a press conference on June 5, 2020, the police chief said that the officers saw Monterrossa running toward a car at the scene, that he stopped, took a kneeling position, and placed his hands above his waist, revealing what appeared to be the butt of a handgun. On June 5, the Vallejo police union released a statement, saying that Monterrosa “abruptly pivoted back around toward the officers, and crouched into a tactical shooting position,” that the hammer “appeared to be the butt of a gun, and that the officer fired, “as a last resort.”
The name of the officer involved was not released by the police department. The Bay Area News Group identified the shooter as Jarrett Tonn on June 5. On June 15, the Vallejo police union filed a temporary restraining order to prevent the release of the name of any officer involved in the killing. On June 16, the city of Vallejo announced it would oppose the motion in court and would “seek to defend the [c]ity’s right to release the name of the officer(s) at a time and through a method of its choosing.”
Investigations into the destruction of evidence
On July 15, 2020, the Vallejo city manager's office announced that the windshield through which Tonn shot and killed Monterrosa had been destroyed without permission by a city employee, who had been placed on administrative leave and recommended for independent criminal investigation. On July 15, after confirming that essential evidence in the case had been destroyed by city staff, the city of Vallejo called for the California Department of Justice to begin an independent investigation. On July 17, Becerra announced that the California Department of Justice would investigate the destruction of essential evidence by the city of Vallejo. Becerra said that the investigation was limited to the destruction of evidence and that he would only relay any findings back to the Solano County District Attorney.
In July 2020, a city source confirmed that Michael Nichelini, Vallejo police officer and president of the Vallejo police officers' association, was on paid leave and under investigation for destroying the windshield and putting the unmarked truck back into service without the consent of the police chief or city attorney. Officer Fabio Rodriguez was also placed on paid leave in connection with the destruction of evidence. Nichelini was served with a notice of termination on December 21, 2020. On March 12, 2021, Nichelini filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the city of Vallejo alleging that his termination, prior discipline, and investigations were acts of retaliation and harassment by city officials. On April 2, Nichelini was fired by the city of Vallejo while Rodriguez was suspended for 40 hours.
Review of the Vallejo Police Department
On June 5, California Attorney General Xavier Becerra announced a general review of the Vallejo Police Department intended to "build public trust through good policies, practices, and training." The review is authorized by an agreement between the city of Vallejo and the California Department of Justice effective until June 5, 2023.
Legal proceedings
Federal civil rights lawsuit
The Monterrosa family is represented by civil rights and police brutality attorney John Burris. Burris issued a statement condemning Tonn's overreaction as Monterrosa had done nothing to threaten the police and was not threatening anyone with a weapon, even if he had been armed with one. Burris said that "[t]here is a 22-year-old kid who is now dead who appeared to be surrendering and he is shot down in cold blood." Burris also announced his intention to file a civil suit against the city of Vallejo. Following the release of the body camera footage, Burris said the footage made clear that there had been "no de-escalation" and "no justification" for the use of lethal force, and noted that police officials had offered multiple conflicting accounts of the shooting.
On August 6, 2020, the Monterrosa family filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the city of Vallejo and Jarrett Tonn. The lawsuit alleges that Monterrosa's civil rights were violated by unjustified use of deadly force when he was shot and killed by Tonn.
On February 10, 2021, United States District Judge Troy L. Nunley denied a change of venue motion filed by Tonn.
Criminal prosecution
As of April 2021, no federal, state, or local criminal investigation or prosecution is underway. Monterrosa's sisters called on Becerra and Governor Gavin Newsom to appoint a special prosecutor to investigate the shooting and the Vallejo Police Department, as well as to charge and prosecute Jarrett Tonn and other officers and city staff involved in the shooting and the destruction of evidence. On April 2, 2021, Monterrosa's sisters called on Attorney General-nominee Rob Bonta to meet with their family and to appoint a special prosecutor to investigate all officers involved in the shooting and the destruction of evidence.
Memorials, protests, and reactions
In June 2020, protesters began gathering in Vallejo and across the Bay Area to ask for officers involved to be charged "to the fullest extent of the law" and to call for the release of body camera video. On June 5, a "Justice for Sean Monterrosa" protest was held at Mission and 24th Street in San Francisco.
In July and August 2020, a billboard calling for "Justice for Sean Monterrosa" and featuring a portrait of Monterrosa from the Justice for Our Lives project was displayed above 624 Irving Street in San Francisco.
On September 22, 2020, a "Justice for Sean Monterrosa" billboard was put up a block away from the Vallejo Police Department. On September 27, after a march from Wilson Park to the billboard, a moment of silence was held and Monterrosa's sisters gave statements.
On October 2, 2020, the four-month anniversary of Monterrosa's death, a protest was staged on the driveway outside Governor Gavin Newsom's house. A group of 17 protestors, including Monterrosa's sisters and members of Justice League CA, demanded Newsom appoint a special prosecutor to investigate the case. The protestors were later arrested and detained overnight in Sacramento County Jail.
References
2020 deaths
2020 controversies in the United States
2020 in California
Police brutality in the 2020s
2020–2021 United States racial unrest
Civil rights protests in the United States
Deaths by firearm in California
Deaths by person in the United States
History of Solano County, California
Incidents during the George Floyd protests
June 2020 events in the United States
Law enforcement controversies
Race and crime in the United States
Vallejo, California
Hispanic and Latino American history
African–Hispanic and Latino American relations
George Floyd protests in the United States
Latino people shot dead by law enforcement officers in the United States
Hispanic and Latino American-related controversies |
64184352 | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shooting%20of%20Chantel%20Moore | Shooting of Chantel Moore | On June 4, 2020, Chantel Moore, an Indigenous Canadian woman, was shot and killed by Edmundston, New Brunswick police, who were called to perform a wellness check on her. Moore's death drew national attention and outrage. However, the actions of the Edmundston officer involved were found to have been "reasonable under the circumstances" and he was not charged with any crime.
Background
Moore was a member of the Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation and had recently moved to New Brunswick to be closer to her six-year-old daughter, who was living with Moore’s mother. The wellness check was asked for by Moore's boyfriend in Toronto, who was worried Moore was being harassed.
Incident
Moore opened the door to her residence holding a knife and walked towards the responding officer. When commands to drop the knife were not followed, he fired four times, killing Moore. He was not equipped with a Taser.
Public response
In response to the incident, attention was raised to the fact that Edmundston police officers do not wear body cameras; this is not unusual for police services in Canada due to the cost of the devices and questions over their effectiveness. Moore's family questioned the decision of the Edmundston officer to not attempt using non-lethal force in the interaction, considering the shooting to have been excessive given the small stature of Moore and the fact that she was only armed with a knife. Indigenous Services Minister Marc Miller commented "I don't understand how someone dies during a wellness check."
Investigation
Due to New Brunswick not having its own police investigation service, Quebec's Bureau of Independent Investigations was tasked with investigating the police involved shooting. However, this decision drew calls from Indigenous leaders for an independent public investigation into her death. Investigators concluded the report in December 2020, referring it to New Brunswick's public prosecution service to determine if charges should be laid. After reviewing the report and available evidence, the prosecution service determined that the officer's actions were "reasonable under the circumstances," finding that he was confined to a third-floor balcony and that she posed a "potential lethal threat approaching him quickly." The Canadian criminal code allows police officers to defend themselves and others with lethal force under certain circumstances. The independent report corroborated initial police allegations that Moore did not follow commands to drop the knife. Witnesses heard the commands. The officer, a use of force instructor for the department, was not equipped with a taser.
Aftermath
Occurring just over a week after the death of Regis Korchinski-Paquet, an Indigenous-black woman, the shooting of Moore caused scrutiny to be raised over Canadian police's capability to de-escalate situations involving mental health crisis. Indigenous leaders, Moore's grandmother, and Minister Miller linked the killing to systemic racism of Indigenous people by Canadian police. Though Indigenous peoples make up 5 percent of Canada’s population, 36 percent of people shot to death by RCMP officers over a 10-year period were Indigenous. In the aftermath of the killing, the chiefs of a coalition of Maliseet First Nations called for an independent probe of the New Brunswick justice system to address systemic discrimination against Indigenous people. Rallies, protests, and healing walks were held across Canada to call for justice for Moore. Eight days after the shooting of Moore, a second Indigenous person, Rodney Levi, was killed by police in New Brunswick. Both deaths led to Premier Blaine Higgs deciding not to proceed with proposed legislation to increase the emergency powers of the police. The investigation's findings were called a "stinging blow" by British Columbia's First Nations Leadership Council. Moore's family was reported in June 2021 as reviewing its legal options.
References
Law enforcement controversies
2020 in New Brunswick
People shot dead by law enforcement officers in Canada
First Nations history in New Brunswick
2020 crimes in Canada
June 2020 events in Canada |
64237135 | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shooting%20of%20Dion%20Johnson | Shooting of Dion Johnson | On May 25, 2020, Dion Johnson, a 28-year-old Black man, was killed in Phoenix, Arizona, United States, during an arrest for driving while intoxicated. According to the Phoenix Police, a trooper was patrolling when he discovered Johnson's vehicle parked in the gore point near Loop 101 and Tatum Boulevard. The trooper approached the vehicle and found Johnson asleep at the drivers seat, with cans of beer and a gun in the car, after removing the gun, the trooper attempted to arrest Johnson.
According to the trooper, an altercation occurred when Johnson woke up and grabbed at him, the trooper drew his weapon and ordered Johnson to comply with instructions, Johnson complied and then as the trooper holstered his weapon, Johnson lunged for the weapon. Another altercation ensued in the struggle, resulting in the trooper allegedly firing his weapon twice, with one bullet fatally striking Johnson. Johnson later died at the hospital. Police stated there was neither body camera nor car camera footage, and the trooper was not wearing a body camera. However, significant evidence, including several eye witnesses, have corroborated what Trooper Cervantes said happened
People involved
Dion Johnson was a prohibited possessor of firearms due to past criminal charges and had recently been released from the Arizona Department of Corrections several months prior. He had spent time in prison for armed robbery and aggravated assault, was listed as a known gang member, and also had complaints about fights with family and an ex-girlfriend.
George Cervantes is a Public Safety Trooper who was identified as the trooper involved in the shooting, and a fifteen year veteran of the force. He had been disciplined for some complaints in the past, such as using his police taser on his family's dog.
Incident
According to the Phoenix Police account, a trooper was patrolling when he discovered Johnson's vehicle parked at the triangle piece of land between the freeway and on/off ramp, near Loop 101 and Tatum Boulevard. The trooper approached the vehicle and found Johnson asleep at the drivers seat, with cans of beer and a gun in the car, after removing the gun the trooper returned to his motor unit to wait for a backup officer. Trooper Cervantes then noticed Johnson begin to move around in the vehicle. Fearing Johnson would attempt to drive off and endanger the public, he attempted to arrest him. An altercation occurred when Johnson woke up and grabbed at Trooper Cervantes, who drew his firearm to force Johnson to comply. Johnson initially complied so Trooper Cervantes holstered his weapon. At this time Johnson lunged forward and grabbed a hold of Trooper Cervante's vest. Fearing he would be pushed into oncoming traffic, Trooper Cervantes drew his weapon and fired two shots, striking Johnson once. Trooper Cervantes removed Johnson from the vehicle and placed him into handcuffs, per proper procedure while waiting for backup to arrive to provide traffic control for emergency vehicles staging nearby,
Investigation
Officials have placed the trooper who shot Johnson on paid administrative leave. The trooper was never charged with any foul play. The department also stated there is no dashcam video as both troopers involved were motorcycle officers and were not equipped with body cameras. However, video footage was later released from a live-feed Arizona Department of Transportation camera that was recorded by a local news station after the incident took place. The trooper was never charged or found to be at fault for protecting his life. The internal investigation by the Arizona Department of Public Safety was completed in April 2021, and concluded that there were no issues or deficiencies in the incident.
Aftermath
The Arizona Department of Public Safety erected fencing around its headquarters in Phoenix in late May 2020 in order to stop a vigil for Johnson on the grounds. The fencing has since been turned into a community mural of posters, cardboard and paper signs that were fixed to the fencing with string and tape.
Johnson's death was protested by Black Lives Matter protestors along with the murder of George Floyd. On June 7, protestors had held 11 days of daily marches in Phoenix to demand change and chanted for six minutes straight to highlight the time that medical aid was withheld from Johnson even with an ambulance stationed a few hundred feet away.
Response
The family of Johnson and their attorney Jocquese Blackwell, have questioned how a man who was sleeping in his vehicle and disarmed could end up being killed, emphasizing the lack of body cameras, police cameras, or other witnesses to corroborate the sole police account of the incident.
Arizona State Representative Reginald Bolding, has demanded more transparency in the case and sent a letter to the public safety department. He later issued a statement to the US Department of Justice to take over the investigation, that was cosigned by Representative Doctor Geraldine Peten and Arizona Commissioner Sandra Kennedy.
References
2020 deaths
2020 controversies in the United States
2020 in Arizona
African-American-related controversies
Black Lives Matter
Deaths by person in the United States
May 2020 events in the United States
Protests in the United States
Law enforcement controversies in the United States
Phoenix Police Department |
64332181 | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shooting%20of%20Carlos%20Carson | Shooting of Carlos Carson | On June 6, 2020 Carlos Carson, an unarmed African American man in Tulsa, Oklahoma, was assaulted and killed by a private security guard with an extensive and controversial law enforcement background.
Incident
Carson had been staying at a motel, the Knights Inn, for several days. In the early afternoon of June 6, Carson was walking across the motel's parking lot with a cup of coffee, when, without warning, he was assaulted with a chemical weapon and then shot to death by private security guard Christopher Straight, according to surveillance video. Two bullets struck Carson, including at least one in his head. Straight, 53 years old at the time, was taken into custody later that day by the Tulsa Police Department, and on June 10 he was charged by the Tulsa County prosecutor with first-degree manslaughter.
Before his employment as a private security guard, Straight had worked in law enforcement for 16 years, and had been the subject of multiple accusations of misconduct, including race- and gender-based bigotry. The day before the shooting incident, in the midst of national protests in support of the Black Lives Matter movement, Straight had endorsed a statement on social media saying “How about all lives matter. Not black lives, not white lives. Get over yourself no one’s life is more important than the next. Put your race card away and grow up.” Six days prior, on May 31, Straight had published a statement on social media “If you are anti-police: I’m blue family, unfriend me,” along with the hashtag "#Bluelivesmatter".
Biography
Carson was 36 years old at the time of his death, and had three children. He had previously been convicted of and imprisoned for non-violent criminal behavior including burglary, false personation and entering with intent to steal copper, and subsequently had been released from prison. At the time of his death, he had been struggling with mental health, and had engaged mental health services to try to turn his life around. His brother Ananias Carson described him as a family man who enjoyed fishing.
Reactions
Ananias Carson, a police officer in the Tulsa Police Department, criticized the circumstances of his brother's death. “We’re not trying to paint him [Carlos Carson] out to be an angel or saint. But no one needs to be assaulted, then shot, because they defended themselves. My brother didn't deserve what he got, especially in the manner that it happened. He didn’t deserve that." Ananias Carson further bemoaned that Straight had destroyed Carlos Carson's shot at redemption and “taken away his chance to do anything with his children."
See also
Black Lives Matter
References
African-American history of Oklahoma
African-American history in Tulsa, Oklahoma
African-American-related controversies
Law enforcement controversies in the United States
Police brutality in the United States
Post–civil rights era in African-American history
Race-related controversies in the United States
1980s births
Year of birth uncertain
2020 deaths
2020 controversies in the United States
2020 in Oklahoma
Black Lives Matter
Deaths by firearm in Oklahoma
Deaths by person in the United States
June 2020 events in the United States |
64383538 | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shooting%20of%20Matthew%20Hunt | Shooting of Matthew Hunt | Matthew Dennis Hunt was a New Zealand Police constable whose killing in Massey on 19 June 2020 drew significant national media coverage. Eli Epiha, a 24-year-old man, pleaded guilty to his murder while a 30-year-old woman, Natalie Bracken, was found guilty to being an accessory after the fact. Hunt's death marked the first police fatality in the line of duty in New Zealand since 2009.
Matthew Dennis Hunt
Matthew Hunt was a 28-year-old constable born on 30 July 1991 who had served in the New Zealand Police for two and half years. He spent the majority of his time as a frontline officer in his hometown, Orewa, before being transferred for a temporary rotation to the Impairment Prevention Team (IPT) based at the Auckland Harbour Bridge Police Station. When Hunt joined in October 2017 he joined as apart of Wing 312 trained at the Royal New Zealand Police College at Papakōwhai. He was raised by his mother alongside his sister in the Hibiscus Coast and attended Orewa College. According to his family, Hunt's "life-long dream" was to be a police officer after studying criminology and working in prisons.
Others involved
Eli Epiha, a 24-year-old man has been charged with murder, attempted murder and dangerous driving causing injury. He has been remanded into police custody and granted interim name suppression.
Natalie Bracken, a 30-year-old woman who is facing driving charges and being an accessory to murder.
The incident
On 19 June at 10:37am (NZST), Constable Matthew Hunt and a second police officer were shot after a car they had tried to pull over crashed on Reynella Drive in Massey, Auckland. Constable Hunt was killed during the shooting. His colleague was wounded and admitted to hospital. A member of the public was also injured by a vehicle during the incident. According to Police, the suspect fled into a silver Mazda Demio following the shooting and later abandoned the vehicle.
Manhunt and investigation
In response, the Police including members of the Armed Offenders Squad and Eagle helicopters launched a manhunt for the perpetrators and searched vehicles. Eight schools in Massey were also placed in lockdown including Massey High School and Don Buck Primary School. Armed police officers also guarded police stations.
Several hours after the shooting, the Police stormed a home in Rena Place in Auckland's West Harbour. In addition, Police also arrested a fleeing driver on the Lincoln Road overbridge in the Northeast Motorway after using road spikes to stop his car. The police also spoke to two persons of interest. Later that night, a 24-year-old man was charged with murder, attempted murder and dangerous driving causing injury. The man briefly appeared in the Waitakere district court on 20 June where he was formally arraigned and remanded into custody until his next court appearance on 8 July.
On 20 June, the Police announced that they were looking for a 30-year old woman named Natalie Bracken in relation to the shooting incident. She was charged with driving charges and as an accessory to the murder. Later that day, the Police took Bracken into custody in West Auckland and confirmed that she was assisting police inquiries.
Legal proceedings
In early July 2020, Eli Epiha appeared in the Auckland High Court where he pleaded not guilty to murdering Constable Hunt and the attempted murder of the second police officer. He also pleaded not guilty to guilty to dangerous driving, causing injury to a member of the public. On 14 August, Epiha's name suppression lapsed after he abandoned his appeal for name suppression.
In early July 2021, Epiha pleaded guilty to Hunt's murder and dangerous driving causing injury after fleeing Police. However, Epiha pleaded not guilty to the alleged attempted murder of the second police officer, who was identified as Constable David Goldfinch. On 12 July, Judge Geoffrey Venning convened a jury for Epiha's trial for the attempted murder of Goldfinch. In addition, suppression of Epiha's earlier guilty pleas and a non-publication order of images of the defendant was also lifted.
That same month, Epiha's accomplice Natalie Bracken faced trial for being an accessory after the fact of murder. Following her arrest, Bracken had claimed that Epiha had threatened her at gunpoint into driving him away following the shooting of the police officers. During the trial, a cellphone video by a member of the public was played showing Bracken obtaining the keys to a car that was parked on Massey's Reynella Drive and departing with Epiha in the passenger seat. Bracken's defence lawyer Adam Couchman claimed that she had driven Epiha from the scene with the aim of protecting people and preventing further bloodshed. Prosecutor Brian Dickey disputed Bracken's claim, pointing out that Bracken had not disarmed Epiha and facilitated his escape.
On 27 July 2021, Epiha was found guilty of the attempted murder of Goldfinch. During the trial, the defendant had maintained that he did not intend to kill Goldfinch. After 11 and a half hours of deliberations, the jury convicted Epiha of attempted murder. In addition, Bracken was convicted of being an accessory after the fact of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.
On 1 October 2021, Bracken was sentenced to twelve months imprisonment for her role as an accessory to causing grievous bodily harmed. Justice Venning rejected the defendant's claim that she had acted under compulsion to protect others, stating that she had the opportunity to run away or to hide in her house instead of returning to her house to obtain her car keys. Hunt's mother Diane Hunt also criticised the defendant for helping the killer escape and her perceived selfishness during the trial.
On 10 December 2021, Epiha was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum non-parole period of 27 years. During the sentencing, Justice Venning rejected the defendant's claim that he had acted recklessly without intention. He also declined the Crown prosecutor's recommendation that Epiha be sentence to life imprisonment without parole, taking into account the defendant's age, history of violence and lack of remorse. The victim's mother Diane also described Epiha's apology as "vacuous" and described the devastating impact of Hunt's death on her life in her victim impact statement.
Aftermath
In response to the shooting, Police Commissioner Andrew Coster stated that "the incident points to the real risk that our officers face as they go about their jobs every day." He confirmed that police officers were not armed at the time and reiterated his commitment to an unarmed police force.
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern offered her condolences in Parliament, stating that "our police officers work hard every day to keep us and our communities safe." Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters stated that "Police Lives Matter" during his tribute to Hunt. National Member of Parliament Mark Mitchell read a tribute from Hunt's mother and recounted an incident in which Hunt convinced a knife-wielding offender to lower his weapon. Greens co-leader James Shaw also paid tribute to Hunt, stating that it was a "heartbreaking reminder" that a police officer's life could be taken at any moment.
On 20 June, the Sky Tower in Auckland lit up in Police blue colours in honour of the death of Hunt.
On 22 June, it was reported that two relatives of Hunt, who had traveled from Australia to attend his funeral, had expressed frustration that they had to undergo quarantine in Rotorua as they wanted all relatives that had travelled from overseas to quarantine together for two weeks as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand. On 22 June, the Government granted permission for family members of Hunt, traveling from overseas, to quarantine together in Auckland.
On 26 June, Police officers across the country held a minute of silence in honour of Hunt. 100 police officers gathered in Auckland's Aotea Square to pay tribute to their comrade. Hunt's sister, father, uncle and aunt watched from their hotel rooms above, whilst in quarantine.
On 9 July, Hunt's funeral was held, and on that night, the Auckland Sky Tower lit up in varying colours of blue to mark his funeral.
References
Hunt, Matthew
2020 in New Zealand
Crime in Auckland
Deaths by firearm in New Zealand
June 2020 crimes in Oceania
June 2020 events in New Zealand |
64498516 | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shooting%20of%20Colm%20Horkan | Shooting of Colm Horkan | Garda Colm Horkan was a detective in the Garda Síochána, the national police service of Ireland, who was shot dead by a 43-year-old man in Castlerea, County Roscommon, Ireland on 17 June 2020, while on an anti-crime patrol.
Personal life
Colm Horkan was born on 13 December 1970 in Charlestown, County Mayo to parents Dolores and Marty. He grew up with his four brothers – Aidan, Brendan, Dermot and Pádraic, and two sisters - Deirdre and Collette. Horkan was a former Charlestown Sarsfields GAA footballer and joined the Garda Síochána in 1994. He attended the Garda Síochána College in Templemore, County Tipperary, the same time as Adrian Donohoe who was later shot dead in 2013 in a Credit Union robbery in County Louth, becoming the 87th garda to be killed in the line of duty.
Incident
According to contemporary media reports, on Wednesday, 17 June 2020 at 11:45 pm, Horkan was on an anti-crime patrol by himself in Castlerea, County Roscommon and stopped a man after receiving a report of someone speeding and driving recklessly on a motorcycle in the town's Main Street. Horkan stopped a male on a motorcycle matching the description provided to Gardaí by the public, and as he was speaking to him, the perpetrator reached for Horkan's issued firearm, and after a short struggle the man managed to get hold of Horkan's official SIG Sauer handgun and fired fifteen rounds, hitting him six times in the chest and neck. The other nine rounds went through a bank and shop window in the town centre. At around midnight, Gardaí rushed to the scene after hearing the gunshots from Castlerea Garda Station – just five minutes away from the scene. The Armed Support Unit arrived at the scene after Horkan pressed his panic button on his radio for emergency backup prior to the shooting. He was later pronounced dead by paramedics at the scene becoming the 89th garda to be killed in the line of duty. The suspect made no attempt to flee the scene and was arrested minutes later.
Aftermath
The day after the incident on 18 June 2020, the Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and President Michael D. Higgins paid tribute to Horkan. Hundreds of people attended a vigil for Horkan in Castlerea, County Roscommon to pay their respects. A small marquee was set up on the street where the incident occurred and tributes were led by local Fianna Fáil councillor Paschal Fitzmaurice. On 20 June 2020, the President Michael D. Higgins led a memorial service on the grounds of Áras an Uachtaráin. On 21 June 2020, a state funeral was held in St James's Church in his hometown of Charlestown, County Mayo. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the Republic of Ireland, social distancing protocols meant the numbers in the church were limited to Horkan's immediate family along with Garda Commissioner Drew Harris and the Minister for Justice and Equality Charles Flanagan. Dáil Éireann and garda stations around Ireland marked a minute's silence to remember Horkan. The Taoiseach Leo Varadkar marked the minute silence at Garda Headquarters in the Phoenix Park. At Áras an Uachtaráin, the president attended a ringing the Peace Bell and raised the Irish flag at half-mast as a mark of respect to Horkan.
On 5 September, Minister for Justice Helen McEntee honoured and reflected on the loss of Horkan as she marked National Services Day 2020.
Alleged perpetrator
Stephen Silver, a 43-year-old man living in Foxford, County Mayo, but originally from County Roscommon, was reportedly arrested at the scene by Garda Helen Gillen and was brought to Castlerea Garda Station. He appeared at Harristown District Court and was charged with the murder of Horkan on 19 June 2020. Silver was first remanded in custody to Castlerea Prison on 19 June and was then transferred to the Midlands Prison.
Court
Silver was repeatedly deemed unfit to attend court at Harristown District Court in Roscommon via video link due to mental health issues. In February 2021, the Castlerea District Court deemed Silver to be fit for trial after having subsequently been deemed unfit for trial on seven occasions. On 23 March 2021, it was announced that Silver would go on trial at the Central Criminal Court on 15 June 2022.
Timeline
26 June 2020 – Silver was due to appear in court via video link on 26 June 2020 but was deemed unfit to appear for the first time. He was due to appear in court again via video link on 10 July 2020.
10 July 2020
It was revealed by Silver's solicitor Gearoid Geraghty that he was medically unwell and was unable to attend court for another two weeks.
Silver was being detained at the Central Mental Hospital in Dublin, where he was receiving ongoing psychiatric treatment. He was due to appear in court again on 24 July.
24 July 2020 – It was announced that Silver's health is expected to gradually improve during the next two months and was still unable to attend court. He was due to appear in court for the third time on 7 August.
7 August 2020
Defence solicitor Martina Moran of Gearoid Geraghty & Company said that Silver was still receiving treatment at the Central Mental Hospital.
It was now the fourth time Silver has been deemed unfit to appear by video link at Harristown District Court. He was due to appear in court via video link again on 21 August.
21 August 2020
Silver was deemed medically unfit to attend court for the fifth time and remained at the Central Mental Hospital in Dublin.
It was reported that the extent of the investigation involves 200 statements, 250 exhibits and 70 segments of CCTV footage, while gardaí made inquiries with a witness in Australia.
He was due to appear in court via video link again on 4 September.
4 September
Silver was deemed medically unfit to attend court for the sixth time and remained at the Central Mental Hospital.
Harristown Court was informed that the file into the killing of Detective Garda Colm Horkan was sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions.
He was due to appear in court via video link again on 18 September.
18 September
Silver was deemed medically unfit to attend court for the seventh time and remained at the Central Mental Hospital.
Further details of the extent of the investigation were outlined at Harristown District Court when a defence solicitor questioned the length of time it was taking for the file to be sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions.
Gardaí carried out over 350 house-to-house enquiries, taken over 200 written statements and viewed 70 pieces of CCTV footage.
He was due to appear in court via video link again on 7 October.
23 October
Silver was deemed medically unfit to attend court for the tenth time and remained at the Central Mental Hospital.
A court heard that the case of Silver accused of murdering Detective Garda Horkan should proceed without the accused being present.
He was due to appear in court via video link again on 6 November.
6 November
Further charges were considered against Silver as he was deemed medically unfit to attend court for the eleventh time and remained at the Central Mental Hospital.
He was due to appear in court via video link again on 20 November.
27 November – Silver appeared at Castlerea District Court where he was charged with the capital murder of Detective Garda Colm Horkan, and was remanded in custody to the Midlands Prison in Portlaoise to appear via video link before Harristown District Court on 4 December.
19 February 2021 – Silver was sent forward for trial to the Central Criminal Court charged with the murder of Horkan.
23 March 2021 – It was announced that Silver would go on trial at the Central Criminal Court on 15 June 2022.
See also
List of Gardaí killed in the line of duty
Shooting of Adrian Donohoe
Death of George Nkencho
References
2020 deaths
Garda Síochána officers killed in the line of duty
Deaths by firearm in the Republic of Ireland
Deaths by person in the Republic of Ireland
2020 murders in Europe
State funerals |
64534708 | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shooting%20of%20Fong%20Lee | Shooting of Fong Lee | On July 22, 2006, Minneapolis police officer Jason Anderson shot 19 year old Hmong-American Fong Lee eight times, killing him instantly. Anderson and state trooper Craig Benz both claimed he had a gun and refused to drop it. Family members of the deceased claimed the gun was planted. On March 30, 2009 documents revealed that the gun had been in police possession since 2004, when police recovered the weapon after it was reported stolen. Lee family attorney Mike Padden stated that the first police officer to arrive after the shooting was Bruce Johnson, who two years before had written up the burglary report on this same gun.
Trial
A grand jury decided not to indict Anderson in 2007. The family took the case to civil court but the jury ruled against them. The Supreme Court of the United States declined to hear the Lee family's appeal in 2010.
See also
List of killings by law enforcement officers in Minnesota
References
People shot dead by law enforcement officers in the United States
2006 deaths
Deaths by person in the United States
Deaths by firearm in Minnesota
Police misconduct in the United States
Minneapolis Police Department
Asian-American-related controversies
American people of Hmong descent |
64832771 | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shooting%20of%20Ryan%20Whitaker | Shooting of Ryan Whitaker | Ryan Whitaker was a 40-year-old American man who lived in Ahwatukee, Arizona (an urban village of Phoenix, Arizona), who was shot twice and killed by Phoenix Police Department Officer Jeff Cooke at approximately 10:52 p.m. on May 21, 2020. Cooke was accompanied by officer John Ferragamo, who did not fire his weapon. The shooting was captured on bodycam video.
The incident
The police officers had responded to complaint of noise and possible domestic violence from an upstairs neighbor, and had positioned themselves on either side of the door of Whitaker's apartment when they knocked upon their arrival. They could not be seen through the peephole in the door. Whitaker answered the door with a gun in his hand held down at his side and the barrel pointed down toward the floor, and an officer initially said, "How're you doin'?", and then upon noticing the weapon, said, "Whoa! put hands hand down!" When he saw the police officers, Whitaker pulled the hand that was holding the gun back behind him, raised his other hand up in the air, and began kneeling down in surrender. As Whitaker tried to surrender, Cooke shot his weapon three times, hitting him twice in the back and killing him. As Whitaker fell, the hand that had been holding the weapon came back into the view of the cameras, and appeared to be empty. The entire encounter lasted 5 seconds. Whitaker's girlfriend emerged from the apartment, asked why he was shot, and was told, "He pulled a gun on us, ma'am."
When recovered, the gun was found inside the apartment, behind where Whitaker had been kneeling when shot. After repeated demands for release of the bodycam footage, edited footage from both officers' cameras was released 55 days after the incident.
Whitaker's girlfriend, who was present in his apartment at the time of the shooting, said that Whitaker had picked up his 9 mm handgun before answering the door because there had been a similar inexplicable late-night knocking on his door earlier that week. She also told Ferragamo that a woman had previously knocked on his door seeking help in a domestic dispute. An officer had verbally announced, "Phoenix police" when knocking, but Whitaker reportedly did not hear their words because of music playing in his apartment.
Ferragamo told another officer who later arrived at the scene that he would have done the same as Cooke if Cooke had not used his weapon first.
The upstairs neighbor had called the 911 emergency telephone line twice that evening to complain about the noises from the apartment before the 10:52 p.m. incident. Whitaker's girlfriend said there was no argument happening in the apartment; they had just been playing Crash Bandicoot on a PlayStation and shouting some comments during their enthusiastic playing of the game. Reports said that the upstairs neighbor had exaggerated the description of the noise, giving the impression that there was a violent fight in progress. The video recording includes a comment from Ferragamo indicating that he believed the neighbor was just saying there was violence in order to get the police to respond to the noise complaint sarcastically quoting the caller as saying I'm just gonna say yes to all the questions to get the officers here faster. In the first call, the caller had said, "I can tell that they're just at each other's throats down there." In the second call a half hour later, the neighbor said, "It could be physical. I could say yeah, does that make anybody hurry up or get over here any faster?" The caller expressed irritation at being asked whether they knew if either person in the apartment had a weapon, saying "No, but if this gets pushed along any further I could say yes to all these questions." After being told that the operator was required to ask such questions, the caller said "I don't have time, I'd like to get to sleep, I have to get up in the morning." After the second call, the operator had upgraded the status of the report to request an emergency response. In the bodycam video, there are no obvious sounds coming from the apartment.
Aftermath
The family called for murder charges to be filed against Cooke, for both officers and the 911 dispatch officer to be fired for their conduct, and for the people who called 911 to be charged for their actions. Hundreds of demonstrators gathered in protest at the District Attorney's office on October 5, 2020. Whitaker's brother said, "The Phoenix PD murdered my brother. They murdered my brother." He said that he had received no contact by the District Attorney of Maricopa County. As of that time, Cooke and Ferragamo had returned to their jobs. Ferragamo had been returned to ordinary duty, and Cooke had been assigned to non-enforcement work, and had not been charged with any crime in connection to the incident. On July 22, 2021, the Phoenix Police Department announced plans to terminate the employment of Cooke.
In November 2020, a $3 million settlement was negotiated with Whitaker's family, pending approval by the Phoenix City Council on November 25, 2020. The settlement was approved by Phoenix City Council on December 2, 2020.
In January 2021, Maricopa County Attorney Allister Adel announced that she would not be pursuing criminal charges against Cooke.
References
Filmed killings by law enforcement
Deaths by firearm in Arizona
Phoenix Police Department
Law enforcement in Arizona
2020 controversies in the United States
Law enforcement controversies in the United States
May 2020 events in the United States |
64898227 | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shooting%20of%20Cannon%20Hinnant | Shooting of Cannon Hinnant | Cannon Blake Hinnant was a five-year-old American boy from Wilson, North Carolina who was shot and killed on August 9, 2020, while playing in his neighbor's yard. Hinnant's neighbor, Darius Sessoms, was arrested for the shooting within 24 hours.
Some conservative media outlets claimed that his death was intentionally under-reported due to his race, as Hinnant was white, while Sessoms is black. According to Snopes, the incident was widely reported, and there was no evidence of a cover-up. Hinnant's family has said the child's death was not race related.
Shooting and arrest
At 5:30 pm on August 9, 2020, Hinnant cycled onto his next-door neighbor's property, and the neighbor, Darius Sessoms, a 25-year-old man, allegedly shot the boy at point-blank range. At the time, Hinnant was playing outside with his two older sisters. After police officers and EMS personnel arrived at the location of the shooting, Hinnant was taken to Wilson Medical Center where he died from his injuries. The motive for the shooting is unknown. Sessoms was arrested within 24 hours and subsequently charged with first-degree murder.
On September 22, Sessom's girlfriend was also arrested in connection with the case. She was charged with felony accessory after the fact.
Prosecution
Sessoms was formally indicted by a grand jury on December 22, 2021. His initial court date was set for January 26, 2022. Sessoms has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder and illegal possession of a firearm; prosecutors are seeking the death penalty.
Political response
There were claims circulated by politically conservative social media users and by conservative news outlets that mainstream news outlets other than Fox News were not reporting about the story because they did not want to report about a black man killing a white child. However, according to Snopes, the incident had been covered by local and national media, and there was no evidence of a cover-up.
Conservative social media users also appropriated phrases from the anti-racist policing movement in support of Hinnant. Hinnant's mother posted to Facebook stating that Hinnant's death had nothing to do with race. She also specifically requested that people stop comparing her son's death to the murder of George Floyd.
Memorials
Hinnant's funeral was held on August 13, 2020.
A GoFundMe page was created by Hinnant's grandmother with a goal of raising $5,000 for the family. As of August 19, 2020, it had raised over $815,000.
On August 14, 2020, Skeeter Tulloch of Lee County painted "Cannon's Life Matters" on an unidentified street as a memorial to Hinnant.
On August 23, hundreds of people gathered in Kenly, North Carolina to honor Hinnant. Some at the event wore shirts reading "I Can't Ride / All Lives Matter". An all-day softball event was also held the previous day as a fund-raiser.
References
2020 in North Carolina
August 2020 crimes in the United States
August 2020 events in the United States
Crimes in North Carolina
Deaths by firearm in North Carolina
Deaths by person in the United States
Wilson, North Carolina
Incidents of violence against boys |
65059922 | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shooting%20of%20Jacob%20Blake | Shooting of Jacob Blake | On August 23, 2020, Jacob S. Blake, a 29-year-old black man, was shot and seriously injured by police officer Rusten Sheskey in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Sheskey shot Blake in the back four times and the side three times when Blake opened the driver's door to his girlfriend's rented SUV. Sheskey said that he believed he was about to be stabbed, since Blake was carrying a knife. Earlier during the encounter, Blake had been tasered by two officers, but the tasers failed to disable him and he continued towards his vehicle.
Blake had a warrant for his arrest from July, based on charges of third-degree sexual assault, trespassing, and disorderly conduct for domestic abuse in May. Both Kenosha Police Chief Daniel Miskinis and the Kenosha Professional Police Association stated that the officers dispatched on August 23 were aware of the pending warrant for Blake before they arrived on scene.
The police shooting was followed by unrest, which included rallies, marches, property damage, arson, and clashes with police. Two people were also fatally shot in a confrontation with an armed civilian, 17-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse. Blake's name was invoked in protests in other cities as part of the Black Lives Matter movement, which resurged in the wake of several high-profile killings by police officers in 2020.
In January 2021, Kenosha County prosecutors announced that the officers involved in the shooting would not be charged, and Sheskey returned to regular police duty in April 2021. Prosecutors also announced that Blake would not face any new charges, and they dropped previous sexual assault and trespassing charges against Blake in exchange for him pleading guilty to two misdemeanor counts of disorderly conduct for domestic abuse, for which he was then sentenced to two years of probation.
Shooting
On August 23, 2020, Kenosha police responded to a 9-1-1 call about a "domestic incident" at approximately 5:11p.m. According to multiple official sources, the female caller referred to Blake as her "boyfriend", said he was not permitted to be on the premises, and that he had taken her car keys and was refusing to give them back. Officers were also informed by the dispatcher that there was a "wanted" alert for someone at the address, indicated by police code 10–99. Blake had a warrant for his arrest from July, based on charges of third-degree sexual assault, trespassing, and disorderly conduct for domestic abuse in May. The woman who called 9-1-1 on August 23 to report that Blake had stolen her keys was the same woman who had previously filed the criminal complaint alleging that Blake had sexually assaulted her. The previous May, the woman alleged that Blake entered a room where she was sleeping near one of her children, thrust his finger into her vagina, pulled it out, smelled it and said, "Smells like you’ve been with other men." The alleged victim also said that Blake had sexually assaulted her approximately twice per year. Both Kenosha Police Chief Daniel Miskinis and the Kenosha Professional Police Association stated that the officers dispatched on August 24 were aware of the pending warrant for Blake before they arrived on scene.
One witness stated that Blake pulled his car up near "six or seven women shouting at each other on the sidewalk" and "Blake did not say anything to the women". According to other witnesses, Blake was trying to intervene between two women who were arguing when police arrived. Officers attempted to subdue Blake, and two officers used tasers on him. A bystander who recorded a video of the incident told reporters that he heard police yelling "drop the knife". The bystander also stated, "I didn't see any weapons in his hands; he wasn't being violent". The police union says that Blake was armed with a knife in his left hand, but officers did not initially see it, and he "forcefully fought with the officers, including putting one of [them] in a headlock", while ignoring orders to drop the knife. "Based on the inability to gain compliance and control after using verbal, physical and less-lethal means, the officers drew their firearms," the police union added. One of Blake's attorneys disputed this version of events, calling it "overblown", and saying that the police officers were the aggressors and immediately became physical with Blake upon arriving at the scene.
After an initial scuffle, Blake walked to the driver's side of his girlfriend's rented vehicle, followed by officer Rusten Sheskey and another officer with handguns drawn. Sheskey attempted to grab Blake, and when Blake opened the driver's side door and leaned in, Sheskey grabbed him and fired seven shots towards Blake's back. According to Blake's attorney, four of the shots hit Blake. According to Sheskey's attorney, Sheskey saw Blake put a child in the vehicle as he arrived, and heard a woman say, "He's got my kid. He's got my keys"; Sheskey shot Blake believing he was attempting to kidnap the child in the backseat of the vehicle he was entering, and because Blake had a knife in his hand and twisted his body toward Sheskey. In a press conference on August 26, 2020, Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul said that a knife was recovered from the driver-side front floorboard of the car Blake was leaning into when he was shot in the back. Kaul also said that Blake told investigators that he had a knife, though Kaul declined to describe the knife or say whether it was related to the shooting; Blake's lawyer disputed that the knife was in his possession. The prosecutor who oversaw the investigation said that Blake admitted to holding a knife and that officers and witnesses stated that Blake turned towards officer Sheskey with the knife immediately before the shooting. Blake later admitted that he "wasn't thinking clearly" and picked up a knife during the altercation, although he denied having the intent to use it.
Medical aftermath for Blake
Blake was flown to Froedtert Hospital in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin. His father announced on August 25 that Blake was paralyzed from the waist down and that doctors do not yet know if it would be permanent. He also suffered a gunshot wound to one arm and damage to his stomach, kidney, and liver; he had to have most of his small intestines and colon removed. Blake was initially handcuffed to his hospital bed and guarded by two officers due to an outstanding warrant. The handcuffs were removed and the officers stopped guarding Blake after he posted bond.
As of August 2021, Blake was able to take a few steps, "which he compared to sliding his legs through a woodchipper", and was suffering from anxiety attacks.
Investigation and legal proceedings
Kenosha police referred the investigation of the shooting to the Wisconsin Division of Criminal Investigation. The investigation's findings went to district attorney Michael D. Graveley, the local official responsible for deciding whether to bring charges against the officers. Graveley stated on August 25, 2020, that the investigation was in "its earliest stages". On the same day, the United States Department of Justice also announced an investigation into the shooting. The investigation would look into whether Blake's civil rights were violated. In October 2021, the Department of Justice announced it will not pursue federal civil rights charges against the officer, citing insufficient evidence that the officer willfully violated federal civil rights statutes.
Blake's family retained civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who also represented the families of Trayvon Martin and Michael Brown, to represent Blake in their civil suit. Crump called for the officer who shot Blake to be arrested, and others involved to be fired.
On August 26, Wisconsin attorney general Josh Kaul announced that officer Sheskey was the only officer who fired his weapon. All were placed on administrative leave.
On August 28, the police union said that most narratives about the shooting were wholly inaccurate and purely fictional, including information from Blake's attorneys. It also criticized a statement released by the Wisconsin Department of Justice's Division of Criminal Investigation, which is leading the investigation into the police shooting, as "riddled with incomplete information".
On September 4, 2020, Blake pleaded not guilty to the July sexual assault charge, appearing via Zoom from his hospital bed. In November 2020, Blake reached a deal with the prosecution where the charges of sexual assault were dropped in return for his pleading guilty to misdemeanor disorderly conduct. He was sentenced to two years of probation.
On September 21, Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul appointed a former sheriff of Madison, Wisconsin, to review the work of Wisconsin Department of Justice investigators and provide a written report to the Kenosha County District Attorney.
On January 5, 2021, Kenosha County District Attorney Michael Graveley, the top prosecutor in the county, declined to bring charges against Police Officer Rusten Sheskey. He said that investigators had reviewed 40 hours of video and hundreds of pages of police reports before making the decision.
In April 2021, it was reported that Sheskey has returned to regular duty and will not face any administrative discipline.
In October 2021, the US Department of Justice announced it would not be bringing civil rights charges against Sheskey.
Reactions
Public
Protests followed, leading Kenosha County to declare a state of emergency overnight on August 24 after police vehicles were damaged, a dump truck set on fire, and the local courthouse vandalized. An officer was knocked down with a brick, and tear gas was deployed. Police urged 24-hour businesses to consider closing because of numerous calls about armed robberies and shots being fired, and the Wisconsin National Guard was deployed to maintain public safety. Up to 200 members were to be deployed. On August 24, the protesters set fires and looted businesses for a second night. On August 25, the protests and fires continued throughout Kenosha, and civilians armed with guns patrolled parts of the city.
On August 25, two people were killed and a third seriously wounded; on the following day, a 17-year-old male by the name of Kyle Rittenhouse, turned himself in to police in Antioch, Illinois. The youth was charged with first-degree intentional homicide. His defense lawyers argued that the shootings were in self-defense. On November 19, 2021, in a unanimous jury verdict, Rittenhouse was acquitted of all five charges.
Public protests regarding Blake's shooting occurred in many other cities, including New York, Minneapolis, Los Angeles, and Atlanta.
Sports
Multiple professional sports teams went on strike in protest, refusing to play their scheduled games. In the NBA Bubble, the Milwaukee Bucks boycotted their August 26 first-round playoff game against the Orlando Magic in protest of the shooting. The team decided not to come out of their locker room minutes before the scheduled start to the game. Later that day, the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the National Basketball Players Association announced that in light of the Bucks' decision to refuse to play, all NBA games for the day were postponed. This led to other boycotts from other American sports leagues, including the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA), Major League Baseball (MLB), the National Hockey League (NHL), and Major League Soccer (MLS).
Government
Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers issued a statement denouncing the excessive use of force by police and invoking the names of African Americans killed by law enforcement. Evers said, "While we do not have all of the details yet, what we know for certain is that he is not the first black man or person to have been shot or injured or mercilessly killed at the hands of individuals in law enforcement in our state or our country." Evers called Wisconsin state lawmakers to a special session in order to pass legislation addressing police brutality.
Former Vice President and 2020 Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden said "these shots pierce the soul of our nation" and called for an "immediate, full, and transparent investigation". Biden and his running mate Kamala Harris spoke to Blake's father for an hour. On September 3, Biden and his wife Jill met with multiple members of Blake's family at Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport for 90 minutes; Blake joined the meeting by phone from his hospital bed. Biden then went to Kenosha to speak with members of the community at a local church. This was his first campaign trip to Wisconsin. Harris spoke to Blake by telephone on September 7.
President Donald Trump called the family, but Blake's mother Julia Black later apologized for missing the call, while Blake's father said Trump had not tried to reach out. Trump later said the shooting "was not a good sight. I didn’t like the sight of it, certainly, and I think most people would agree with that." Trump scheduled a trip to Kenosha on September 1 to see the damage caused by the protests and to meet with law enforcement, but Governor Evers and Mayor John Antaramian asked him to reconsider his visit over concerns that his presence would hinder efforts to "overcome division". Trump made the trip, accompanied by U.S. Attorney General William Barr, but he did not meet with Blake's family because, he said, they wanted legal counsel present at the meeting. They held discussions with the county sheriff, the chief of police, and others, and Trump promised financial help to city and state law enforcement, and to businesses which had been burned down. On September 9, Barr contrasted the murder of George Floyd with the Blake shooting, saying, "Floyd was already subdued, incapacitated in handcuffs and was not armed. In the Jacob case, he was in the midst of committing a felony and he was armed."
Notes
References
External links
District Attorney COUNTY OF KENOSHA Report on the Officer Involved Shooting of Jacob Blake
2020 controversies in the United States
2020 in Wisconsin
2020–2021 United States racial unrest
African-American history of Wisconsin
African-American-related controversies
August 2020 events in the United States
Black Lives Matter
Kenosha, Wisconsin
Law enforcement controversies in the United States
Law enforcement in Wisconsin
Non-fatal shootings
Shooting of Jacob Blake
fr:Affaire Jacob Blake |
65275983 | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shooting%20of%20Nathaniel%20Julies | Shooting of Nathaniel Julies | Nathaniel “Lockie” Julies, a 16 year-old boy with down syndrome, was fatally shot allegedly by South African Police Service (SAPS) officers Sergeant Simon ‘Scorpion’ Ndyalvane and Constable Caylene Whiteboy on the 26 August 2020. A third suspect, Detective Voster Netshiongolo, appeared before the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court. Julies was shot meters away from his home in the Eldorado Park area of Johannesburg, Gauteng.
Incident
It was initially reported by Gauteng premier David Makhura that Julies was killed in crossfire between SAPS personnel and gang members.
The Julies family have stated that he was at a local tuck shop buying biscuits when the shooting occurred. Officers allegedly involved in the shooting stated that Julies was shot after allegedly failing to respond to police questioning. Media reports stated that Julies died before reaching hospital.
Witness accounts
An unidentified family member told the media that after purchasing two packs of biscuits Julies joined other nearby children in front of the Hillbrow flats where police first approached him. His father stated that Julies was approached by SAPS officers who tried to question him. The officers were unable to understand Julies and they moved on to questioning another person nearby. After officers had finished questioning and searching the second person, nearby Sergeant Simon 'Scorpion' Ndyalvane got out of a vehicle and shot Julies at close range with a pump action shotgun. The force of the shot propelled Julies' body under a truck. Shortly after the shooting police dragged his body out from under the truck and removed him from the scene.
Eyewitnesses stated that there was no gang presence in the area.
Aftermath
The shooting highlighted longstanding community grievances with the operation of the Eldorado Park police station. Violent protest action broke out, with two SAPS officers and one Municipal Police officer injured, amidst threats by the community to burn down the police station. A petition calling for the prosecution of those involved in the shooting was signed by over 120,000 people. Minister of Police Bheki Cele said that the actions of the officers implicated in Julies' death were "uncalled for".
A tweet from American musician Solange Knowles increased awareness of the incident outside of South Africa, mentioning Julies' death along with those of Oluwatoyin Salau and of Breonna Taylor in the United States. Eldorado Park community members criticised the far-left Economic Freedom Fighters party for trying to politicise the event and "disrespecting" the funeral procession.
At the time of Julies' death he was the second child to have been killed by police action in South Africa in August 2020. The investigative journalism organisation Viewfinder found that thirty-nine children died in SAPS custody or due to SAPS action between April 2012 and March 2018, and that very few officers were held accountable for the deaths.
References
2020 deaths
2020 in South Africa
Deaths by firearm in South Africa
Protests in South Africa
Law enforcement in South Africa
People shot dead by law enforcement officers in South Africa
History of Johannesburg |
65437476 | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shooting%20of%20Linden%20Cameron | Shooting of Linden Cameron | On September 4, 2020, Linden Cameron, a 13-year-old boy with Asperger's syndrome, who was unarmed, was shot and seriously injured by a police officer in Salt Lake City, Utah. Cameron was shot at eleven times by a member of the Salt Lake City Police Department after Cameron ran from his house during a mental breakdown.
Shooting
On September 4, Linden Cameron's mother, Golda Barton had made a 9-1-1 call asking for a crisis intervention team because Cameron was having a mental breakdown, and said that she feared Cameron could become violent. Barton said on body camera footage from the incident released by authorities, “I need him to go to a hospital. I cannot get him there on my own and I cannot do this every night.” Barton said law enforcement were a trigger for Cameron. Cameron's grandfather, Owen Barton, had been killed in a confrontation with Lyon County sheriff's deputies earlier in the year. Golda Barton said in the body camera video, “He sees the badge and he automatically thinks like, you’re going to kill him, or he has to defend himself in some way. He freaks out. And he’s got a sensory disorder.”
Two officers stayed near the home of Linden Cameron and Golda Barton, while an officer in the driveway spotted Cameron running. Officers gave chase to Cameron, and broke through the fence which he jumped over. An officer yelled, "Get on the ground!" moments before firing eleven shots at Cameron. While on the ground, Cameron said, "I don't feel good. Tell my mom I love her." According to Barton, one officer said to the one who shot Cameron, "He's just a child, what are you doing?"
Salt Lake City Police Sergeant Keith Horrocks and the Salt Lake City Police Department initially defended the shooter, claiming that officers were called to the address for a "violent psych issue" involving a juvenile having a "mental episode" and "making threats to some folks with a weapon." The SLCPD retracted these statements, later concluding that there was no indication or evidence to suggest that Cameron had a weapon.
Reactions
After the shooting, Cameron's mother, Golda Barton told KUTV, "I said, ‘He’s unarmed, he doesn’t have anything, he just gets mad and he starts yelling and screaming,’ He's a kid, he's trying to get attention, he doesn't know how to regulate. They're supposed to come out and be able to de-escalate a situation using the most minimal force possible... He's a small child. Why didn't you just tackle him? He's a baby. He has mental issues." Barton set up a fundraiser on GoFundMe for Cameron's medical expenses, which has raised $105,844 as of September 27, 2020. Linden Cameron's 17-year old brother, Wesley Barton said of the shooting, "It’s horrible. To see your little brother bleeding out, saying his last words. It plays in my head over and over." Wesley Barton also said that he had been told that Linden Cameron will probably not be able to walk again.
Salt Lake City mayor Erin Mendenhall said of the incident, "As a member of this community and as the mother of a 14-year old boy, I am profoundly heartbroken and I am frustrated. This shooting is another tragedy. It’s a tragedy for this young boy, for his mother, and for families and individuals who have acute mental health needs. I think the community will look at this situation and they will see themselves or their loved ones reflected in it." Salt Lake City police chief Mike Brown stated, "A 13-year old boy was shot and as a father of three sons, this has had an impact on me personally. I know that this has made an impression on the women and men of the Salt Lake City Police Department and of course you, the community we serve. I believe in the face of tragedy, we have a responsibility to analyze the circumstances that unfolded through a lens of learning."
Some accused the SLCPD of engaging in a cover-up due to the department initially falsely stating that Cameron has a weapon, when it was later concluded he was unarmed. Neurodiverse Utah said of the incident in a statement that "Police were called because help was needed but instead more harm was done when officers from the SLPD expected a 13-year-old experiencing a mental health episode to act calmer and collected than adult trained officers".
References
2020 controversies in the United States
2020 in Utah
Asperger syndrome
September 2020 events in the United States
2020s in Salt Lake City
Law enforcement controversies in the United States
Law enforcement in Utah
Non-fatal shootings
Salt Lake City Police Department |
66023993 | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shooting%20of%20Gennady%20Shutov | Shooting of Gennady Shutov | Hienadz Shutau (, ; 25 November 1975 – August 19, 2020, Minsk) was a participant in protests against fraud in the 2020 Belarusian presidential election. He is the third officially recognized victim of the 9–12 August 2020 crackdown and the first from a firearm.
Death
According to the Militsiya, on the evening of August 11, 2020, Hienadz Shutau and another man attacked police officers in Brest near the Moskovsky district administration, beat them with a metal pipe and tried to take away their weapons. One of the militiamen, fearing for his life, shot the attacker in the shoulder, but because of his resistance "accidentally wounded him in the head". The wounded man was taken to the hospital. On August 13, 2020, he was transferred to the hospital of the Ministry of Defense in critical condition, where he died on August 19, 2020, at 10:20. Investigators promise to give a "legal assessment" of the actions of the attackers and the legality of the use of weapons.
Shutau's daughter Anastasia told the media another version, "He called that he was going home, and since then we have been looking for him for two days and could not find him. His phone was unavailable... The father was shot from behind at close range, the shooter was behind him. There were very severe brain damage, intense bleeding, broken apart bones."
A woman who lives near the murder site said she heard three shots and went out onto the balcony, where she saw a man lying in a pool of blood and a young man in civilian clothes walking away from him. "He went up to him, tried to kick him, but when he saw blood, he started to panic, he called his guys. One of them ran up and began to hold his head, neck, apparently to stop bleeding. And this young man, who was shooting, went up to the bench and called an ambulance. He was very tense, nervous, even shouted. People here tried to approach him, but he would not let them. He swore at them. Then other guys came here, I think they were his people because he would not let others. Then an ambulance was called for the second time so that it could arrive faster. It is possible that the ambulance found out how the gunshot wound occurred. In the end, he said that he was attacked and it was in self-defense. At this time, people came up and began to photograph him. He began to hide behind his shirt, took out a pistol and began to direct the weapon at people, sending them away. People reacted quite aggressively to this. And that's understandable." The witness also noted that the shot was fired in the back of the head since the man was lying face down on the ground.
The certificate on the death of Shutau says that it was caused by traumatic cerebral edema. In the column "external cause of death", the code Y22 is indicated − in the international classification of diseases, it stands for "injury as a result of a shot from a handgun with undetermined intentions". On September 21, a video from a camera at the entrance of house 334 on Moskovskaya Street in Brest, under the windows of which on August 11 one of the "tihars" in civilian clothes shot Hienadz Shutau in the back of the head, was published by MediaZona. This recording confirms that the official version of the Investigative Committee that the biker and his friend, with metal pipes in their hands, attacked the police and tried to take away their weapons, is fake. In the hands of Shutau and his friend Kardziukou, there were no fittings or metal pipes, and there were no warning shots upward from the security forces either. They also did not attack the "tihars", but they themselves approached them.
On October 6, at a meeting with Brest State Technical University students, the prosecutor of the Brest Region Viktor Klimov refused to share the results of the investigation, citing the secrecy of the inquest. As the newspaper "Brestskaya Gazeta" wrote, Aliaksandr Kardziukou, the only witness of the murder of Shutau, was detained on August 13 and has not been in contact since then.
At the end of the first decade of November 2020, the relatives of the murdered man received a response from the Investigative Committee of Belarus that there are "no grounds" for opening a criminal case upon the murder.
As of December, 28, 2020, no criminal case was opened on the killing of Shutau itself, while the Investigative Committee has still not closed the case against Shutau on resistance to law enforcement officers. At the same time, Aliaksandr Kardziukou, the witness of the murder of Shutau that was arrested and initially accused of resistance to a police officer, became accused of attempted murder. Why the article was changed was not explained but Kardziukou's sister thought that it could be made to fully acquit those who fired.
Court
On February 2, 2021, it became known that Aliaksandr Kardziukou would be charged with attempted murder, while a criminal case on the murder of Henads Schutau was not underway.
In the Kardziukou's court session on February 16, 2021, it turned out that on August 11, 2020, on Moskovskaya Street in Brest, a serviceman of the 5th Spetsnaz Brigade, Captain Roman Gavrilov, who was in civilian clothes and carried a Makarov pistol, shot at the back of Shutau's head.
On February 25, 2021, the Brest Regional Court (judge Svetlana Kremenovskaya) found Shutau guilty of resistance with the use of violence, Kardziukou was found guilty of attempted murder by her on top of that. The killed Shutau was returned a guilty verdict without sentencing, while Kardziukou was sentenced to 10 years in a strengthened regime penitentiary, as requested by the state prosecutor Gennady Bury. The victims were named servicemen of the 5th Spetsnaz Brigade Roman Gavrilov and Praporshchik Arseniy Golitsyn, who fired at both to kill.
Close relatives of Shutau and Kardziukou called the verdict absurd and questioned the honesty of the trial. Brest human rights activist Raman Kislyak echoed them, calling the court "a screen of punitive tasks" because it did not meet the criteria of impartiality and independence, and the case itself was conducted for the sake of protecting the servicemen from a fair trial.
On May 14, 2021, the Supreme Court of Belarus upheld the earlier judgments on the murdered Shutau and Kardziukou. According to Raman Kislyak, the Supreme Court failed to meet the criterion of independence when examining the appeal too, as the entire hearing was intended to exempt the military officers from punishment for murder and use of weapons.
Funeral
On August 20, 2020, the daughter of the perished reported that her father's body had not been returned to relatives, so the date of the funeral was still unknown. The relatives wanted to bury Hienadz Shutau in Zhabinka since his mother lived there. He was buried there on August 24.
Personal life
Hienadz Shutau was married, had five children and one grandchild.
Reactions
On September 17, 2020, the European Parliament, in a resolution approved by an absolute majority of MPs, called for an "independent and effective investigation" of the death of Hienadz Shutau related to the protests.
On November 19, 2020, residents of Brest recorded a video message in connection with the escalation of violence in Belarus, among other things, draw the attention of the authorities to the need to investigate the murder of Hienadz Shutau so that the perpetrators would be punished in accordance with the law. On November 26, 2020, the European Parliament, in a resolution approved by an absolute majority of MPs, called for a "prompt, thorough, impartial, and independent investigation" into the killings during protests in Belarus, including Hienadz Shutau, thus supported the initiative of Brest residents.
On February 25, 2021, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya weighed in on the court decision taking the side of the media and activists that thought that charges were trumped up as part of a crackdown to keep President Alexander Lukashenko in power, "A peaceful protester Henadz Shutau was shot dead by siloviki (security forces) in plain clothes last Aug. His friend Aliaksandr Kardziukou witnessed it and ran away. Today, a court sentenced Kardziukou to 10 years in prison. Murdered Shutau was called guilty, and his murderer was called a victim."
Aksana Kolb, editor-in-chief of Novy Chas, wrote, "Aliaksandr Kardziukou, a friend of Hienadz Shutau who witnessed the murder, got ten years. Moreover, Hienadz himself was found guilty. It is a pity that they have not yet learned how to throw the dead ones behind bars...." "The victim was turned into a criminal," human rights activist Ales Bialiatski commented on the verdict.
Viasna Human Rights Centre
On May 6, 2021, experts and analysts of the Viasna Human Rights Centre published a conclusion on the criminal case of Hienadz Shutau and Aliaksandr Kardziukou. Viasna's lawyers concluded that by bringing in the Special Forces of Belarus to suppress the protests, there were violations of the law (Article 3 of the Law "On the Armed Forces of the Republic of Belarus", Articles 16 and 17 of the Law "On the State of Emergency" in particular), while the secret unpublished decree of the President of the Republic of Belarus No. 99-c "On Approval of the Regulations on the State System of Response to Acts of Terrorism, Activities of Terrorist Organizations, Illegal Armed Formations and Mass Riots" "cannot be important for assessing the legitimacy of mutual actions of citizens and military personnel and cannot be the basis for imposing duties on citizens or restricting their rights." The experts also referred to their previous statements, according to which there were no riots in Belarus after the presidential elections in August 2020, but predominantly peaceful protests, the participants of which were unjustifiably subjected to ill-treatment and torture, took place; there were no regimes of martial law or a state of emergency, there was not an armed conflict, either.
According to the Viasna experts, the illegality and groundlessness of the verdict are based on the Aliaksandr Kardziukou’s absence of intent to kill, since “even by the verdict passed, the fact that Kardziukou hit the victim Gavrilov with a pipe on the head is not enough to come to a conclusion about the intention to kill the victim,” while there were no other pieces of evidence that Kardziukou wanted to kill Gavrilov, which excludes the conclusion of direct intent (besides, there can be no attempted murder with indirect intent), as well as on the absence of convincing shreds of evidence of a blow to the head of the victim Roman Gavrilov because three other versions of his injuries at another time and in other circumstances were documented, which were biasedly assessed by the court in violation of the presumption of innocence of Kardziukou. The direct interest of Roman Gavrilov and Arseniy Golitsyn (after investigating whose actions the Investigative Committee refused to initiate a criminal case in connection with causing the death of Hienadz Shutau) in the outcome of the trial could lead to the manipulation of evidence “to substantiate the legality of Gavrilov’s actions, who, from various options to counteract Shutau’s resistance, chose a shot in his torso with a hit in the back of the head, and Golitsyn, who with a warning shot from a pistol endangered the life and health of people in the apartment, where a bullet hit the ceiling, breaking through the glass.”
Gavrilov’s defense of the legality of his actions was based on the fact that his shot in the back of Shutau’s head was preceded by an unexpected blow to the head by Kardziukou, which made it impossible for him to overcome Shutau’s resistance (who, according to Gavrilov, hugged his legs, but, according to Kardziukou, was on his knees with raised hands back to Gavrilov). At the same time, Gavrilov’s injuries approximately corresponded to the circumstance of using the pipe shown by Kardziukou: after falling from the bench, which Kardziukou connected with the actions of Gavrilov and Golitsyn, he hit one of them with a pipe in the thigh, so that the scratch on Gavrilov’s left forearm which was placed at the level of the hips when the person's hands are lowered could be the result of blocking the blow to the thigh with the hand. In addition, Golitsyn concealed his fall during the pursuit of Kardziukou during the preliminary investigation, and the soldier’s bodily injuries found, according to the forensic expert, could have occurred when falling from a height of his own height, but Golitsyn argued that Kardziukou caused him damage by throwing a pipe what allowed him to become a victim too to justify the shooting in peacetime.
According to Article 23 of the Law of the Republic of Belarus "On the Status of Servicemen,” servicemen are obliged to "always be in uniform, clean and neatly dressed", while Gavrilov and Golitsyn were of athletic build with belt bags in civilian clothes and caps, stuck together, and just a single look at them at the intersection, according to the court, allowed Shutau and Kardziukou to understand that they were "not just citizens present but on duty to protect public order" to qualify a crime. But the fact that Gavrilov and Golitsyn themselves mimicked protesters by clapping their hands, running away when the Militsiya was approaching, and such, according to the Viasna experts, could not allow them to be identified as special subjects of the crime. In addition, the court did not indicate in its decision that the shouts of the victims “Face down, bastards, I’ll murder you!”, “Lie face down on the floor, minger”, shooting in the air, the ceiling of the kitchen of the neighboring house, and the back of Shutau's head were called upon to strengthen such confidence. Kardziukou assured that he hit Gavrilov on the thigh not in connection with caring out duties to protect public order by him but instinctively, because “he received a blow (or thought that he received a blow)” from the latter. In addition, the victims did not present any claims for violation of public order to the accused, just as did not present such claims in a lawful form even after the conflict.
Based on that conclusion, on May 7, 2021, by a joint statement of seven organizations, including the Viasna Human Rights Centre, the Belarusian Helsinki Committee, Aliaksandr Kardziukou was recognized as a political prisoner. On June 23, 2021, godparenthood for Aliaksandr Kardziukou was undertaken by Elisabeth Falkhaven, Member of Parliament of Sweden.
See also
Alexander Taraikovsky
Raman Bandarenka
List of deaths related to the 2020 Belarusian protests
References
External links
Video of the zachistka when Hienadz Shutau was wounded Radio Racyja
The murder of Hienadz Shutau in Brest. What we learned from CCTV footage MediaZona
Conclusion of experts and analysts of the Viasna Human Rights Centre on the criminal case against Aliaksandr Kardziukou and Hienadz Shutau
Man, who was shot at rally by law enforcers died in Minsk
Man shot by police at Brest protest dies in hospital at age 44
GENNADY SHUTOV SHOT AND KILLED BY A POLICE OFFICER
JOINT MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION – The European Parliament
Belarusians mourn the death of young opposition supporter
EU demands integration of opposition parties into Belarusian regime
Belarus Confirms Death Of Man Family Says Was Shot At Protest
Belarus: Protests rage on as death count begins to climb
Man Dies After Being Shot By Police During Peaceful Protests In Brest
2020 deaths
Deaths by firearm
2020–2021 Belarusian protests |
67246080 | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shooting%20of%20Eugenio%20Nain | Shooting of Eugenio Nain | Eugenio Sebastián Nain Caniumil (13 April 1996 – 30 October 2020) was a Chilean policeman and secondary corporal who was shot to death by an unidentified armed group in the Padre Las Casas commune. His death occurred during the social context of the Araucanía Conflict and the Chilean social outburst.
Biography
Nain was born in the Chilean city of Temuco, capital of the Araucanía Region, on April 13, 1996, to Christian Roberto Nain Norambuena and Johanna Jacqueline Caniumil Hueichaleo, and was of Mapuche descent. He joined the Carabineros police force on January 16, 2016. His half-brother, Iván Antonio Vidal Caniumil, is also a police officer. At the time of his death, he was married to Daihanna Sabrina Pereira Soto and had two children, who were six years and seven months old.
Death
On the morning of Friday, October 30, 2020, Nain went along with other members of the Carabineros to Ruta 5 Sur, near the Cantera de Metrenco sector in Temuco, where the highway had been blocked due to a protest with barricades. Nain had no knowledge of public law enforcement, and had come to the scene in an unarmored vehicle. As seen in an almost minute-long video recorded from a moving truck, a loud shot was heard a few moments after Nain got out of the vehicle. Following the shooting, Nain was transferred to the Regional Hospital of Temuco, where he died.
Reactions
Mario Rozas, then-General Director of the Carabineros, said he felt "anger and impotence" over the murder of Nain. He commented:
On the part of the government, the act was condemned, and President Sebastián Piñera made a call to "depose, exile and end the violence." Víctor Pérez Varela, then-Minister of the Interior, declared that the murder was "a painful event for Chile and La Araucanía," and visited the area the same day.
Benjamín Olave Huichaleo, Nain's uncle and fellow policeman, harshly criticized the conditions in which they worked in the field, and Temuco Hospital he called for General Rozas to "put on his pants".
The Mapuche community of Lof Rofue wrote in a statement:
Tributes and legacy
On January 13, 2021, he was posthumously promoted to noncommissioned officer in a ceremony at the Temuco Police Training School, which was attended by the General Director of the Carabineros Ricardo Yáñez, and the Minister of the Interior Rodrigo Delgado. Yáñez stated:
Daihanna Pereira, Nain's widow, who present at the ceremony with her children and family, also said:
Minister Delgado added:
Nain's aunt claimed that:
See also
Shooting of Camilo Catrillanca
Mapuche conflict
References
Mapuche conflict
2020 in Chile
Nain, Eugenio
Carabineros de Chile
Law enforcement controversies in Chile
History of Araucanía Region
October 2020 events in Chile |
70075636 | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shooting%20of%20Michael%20Ortiz | Shooting of Michael Ortiz | Michael Ortiz was shot in the back by police while handcuffed in Hollywood, Florida on July 3, 2021. He is now paralyzed from the waist down due to the gunshot. He also lost control of his bodily functions, suffered damage to his pancreas and has accumulated $1 million in medical bills.
Ortiz called 911 and reported himself as having a mental health crisis due to his dog being missing. According to the Hollywood police, Ortiz told the 911 dispatcher that he had “chest pains, ingestion of narcotics and, according to the Fire Rescue call log, was making delusional and suicidal statements.” After calling 911, Ortiz's family convinced him to take a shower in order to calm down. Hollywood Fire Rescue arrived at Ortiz's apartment, and stated that “he refused to answer the door so Fire Rescue requested Hollywood Police respond with lights and sirens.” According to Fire Rescue, Ortiz then came out of his apartment without any clothes on and became combative with parametics, threatening suicide. Hollywood Police arrived as the paramedics were attempting to restrain Ortiz from jumping off of the balcony.
According to the police, an officer then tasered Ortiz to subdue him, and he was handcuffed. An officer later told Ortiz's family that he was tasered twice and that he was “shot on the shoulder.” Ortiz struggled as officers attempted to escort him to the elevator. During the struggle an officer shot Ortiz in the back. Police and Fire Rescue officers then moved Ortiz to the elevator to get him medical treatment. Six Police and Fire Rescue officers were involved.
Hollywood Police later said that “an initial review suggests the officer intended to deploy his taser, but instead discharged his firearm.” The Florida Department of Law Enforcement investigation is ongoing and the unnamed officer was relieved of duty and given administrative duties within the department.
Ortiz was in a coma for several weeks. He described his recovery as like being reborn, with such challenges as getting out of bed and using the restroom. Ortiz's family were initially represented by Morgan and Morgan law firm, and on July 12 sent Hollywood Police a request to preserve all evidence and records. Morgan and Morgan stated that they made a public records request in writing via postal mail, but Hollywood Police claim that they have no record of receiving such a request.
On February 7, 2022, Ortiz and his family held a press conference with their new attorney, civil rights lawyer Ben Crump. Crump announced a public record's lawsuit against Hollywood Police, specifically in regards to security camera footage from the apartment complex that would have documented the entire incident. Crump stated that “you must release the video that shows us why your police officer shot a man — that was stark naked, handcuffed — in the back and paralyzed him.”
See also
2020–2022 United States racial unrest
References
External links
2022 controversies in the United States |