Family members claim video shows 26-year-old Michael Blair just moments before he was killed by a Fort Bend County deputy in November. The 20-minute video shows two investigators responding to a man locked in a bathroom after they kicked in the door.
"Drop the knife, drop the knife!" you hear an officer saying.
They ask him to drop a knife a least 50 times, then shock him with a Tazer.
"I want to help you, let it go. I cannot help you until you drop that knife down," the officer says.
Blair appears to lunge at them and the deputy fires his gun 11 times, killing Blair.
"All we're asking is that someone recognize what we recognize. That was brutality," Blair's mother, Kimberly Blair Olaniyi, said.
Blair's family and community activist Quanell X released the video in a press conference Wednesday, claiming it shows police brutality. They won't say where they got the video or how long they've had it. They didn't offer this up during the initial investigation.
"These cases are always lies and truths aren't told. So that tape was held until they would finish their -- quote unquote -- investigation," Quanell X said.
A grand jury no-billed the investigators seen in the video, but a spokesperson for the sheriff's office says this is still an open case and the office will review any new evidence provided, including this video.
Photo of victim
Slavshit
Sandshit
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A little over 2 1/2 minutes into the video, the cop in the doorway freaks out a bit saying the suspect was going to throw the knife - which always makes me laugh a bit - because I once bought a bunch of real throwing knives - and spent many hours learning to throw them, and thus I know that the odds that someone will do any REAL or SIGNIFICANT damage by throwing a typical household knife are VERY LOW.
It IS scary to have a knife thrown at you - but the probability the knife will hit you with the point when thrown, and will hit you in an area that will do dangerous damage is small.
To give away your knife in a fight by throwing it is just damned stupid.
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Do you want to take that chance that this one time will be the random perfect throw right to the neck?
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I can understand the fear - but judging by probabilities is more rational.
For example, it's too common for cops to shoot someone who threatens them with a bat or a stick or a chair, etc.
In all European cities - the cops would simply take these things away from the bad guys. SOME of those cops would get some bumps and bruises. Few would be seriously injured.
I understand the American cops desire not to be injured, BUT, the cops have pushed the value of defending themselves way to far and ignore the respect and value for the life of the people they shoot.
If 3 cops can't take down a guy with a stick - they shouldn't be cops.
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Right, they are hyper-vigilant about protecting themselves. Better to kill a suspect than risk being scratched or getting a small bruise.
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Most of our police in America can't even pursue a suspect on foot anymore. They don't have the athletic abilities that an officer needs to bring people in alive.
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I'm not sure what the percentage would be, but there are 100,000 law agencies in America, and in some of them, they are DESPERATE for officers, and some of them keep employed officers who are so fat they can barely walk.
Some of those particular officers are probably much more likely to shoot a suspect.
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