The family of Diego Kaliniski, 26, who died in a police attack, accuses the police of being unprepared for the young man's death. He was approached during a disturbance of the peace in Vera , 486 km from Cuiabá, when he resisted arrest, attacked the police and was killed.

Diego was approached near a bar and resisted the PM's arrest order. The approach was filmed by residents who were at the scene. The video shows that the police are unable to immobilize the young man, who ends up taking the baton and attacking one of the police officers. Claiming that he would not be arrested, he does not surrender and is shot.

In the images you can hear six shots. The young man was shot in the abdomen, did not resist and died at the scene.

The family recognizes the young man's resistance, but claims that the police were unprepared, and could have used non-lethal ways to restrain the young man. “He was executed in cold blood,” said Jessica.

In addition to Diego, his 31-year-old brother was also shot. He underwent surgery on his hand and was discharged.

The case is being investigated by the police and the PM reported that the agents involved were removed and an inquiry was opened to investigate the case.

According to the PM, they were responding to a disturbance of the peace on Avenida Brasil, in the municipality of Vera. At the scene, they approached one of the young people and asked for the document of the vehicle he was in. He reportedly refused and tried to react to the approach, when the PM announced the arrest for contempt.

After the arrest order, a fight began between the young man and the police, as can be seen in the video above. It is possible to see the moment when he gets up, takes the baton from one of the agents and tries to hit the officer.

In response, the police officer fires shots. In the images, it is possible to count at least six shots. One of the shots hit the victim's abdomen.

After the first shots, the young man, still standing, tries to follow, but is hit by more shots. According to police, he died at the scene.

Thanks @Felippsusx for the info

Full video:

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2023-03-27/lapd-released-video-of-officers-fatally-shooting-pellet-gun-wielding-woman-in-rampart

22 February 2023

The Los Angeles Police Department released edited footage Monday from the fatal police shooting of a woman near a freeway overpass in Silver Lake last month, showing officers shouting orders at the woman and then opening fire after she raised what turned out to be a pellet gun in their direction.

A preliminary LAPD investigation found that several of the officers' shots may have gone into a nearby group of tents belonging to homeless people.

The graphic videos, released on the department's YouTube page, captured officers rolling up to Mariela Cardenas and training their police cruiser's spotlight on her as she jogged down the sidewalk.

A male officer is heard yelling “Hey, get your f— hands up!” as he jumped out of the cruiser.

His female partner shouted, “Hey, put your hands up! Now, now!”

She began to repeat herself, “put your hands...,” but is cut off by the sound of gunfire.

The videos give a clearer view of the Feb. 22 incident, which drew intense scrutiny online from anti-police-violence activists after the department identified one of the officers involved in the shooting: Jacqueline McBride, the daughter of the Los Angeles Police Protective League's outspoken vice president.

McBride and the other two officers involved — Miguel Salazar and Preston Moseby — are back on the job after spending several days on paid administrative leave, in keeping with department policy.

An LAPD spokeswoman said Monday she couldn't comment on any specifics about the incident because it remained under investigation.

“Any time we lose a life it's always tragic, and we send our condolences to the family,” said police Capt. Kelly Muniz.

The officers from the department's Rampart Division responded to multiple 911 calls about a woman in a trench coat pointing a gun at passersby in the area around Silver Lake Boulevard and Temple Street, according to a police account of the incident. The calls came in shortly before 8 p.m.

McBride and her partner encountered Cardenas, who matched the suspect's description, near an overpass of the 101 Freeway, police said. As she passed them, they hopped out of their cruiser and began yelling at her to drop her weapon.

The third officer involved in the shooting arrived in a separate vehicle.

They assumed Cardenas had a revolver in her hand, according to the footage, a compilation of video from body-worn and dashboard cameras. Cardenas ignored commands and continued toward the overpass.

In one of the police videos, Cardenas appears to turn back to the officers and extend her right arm toward them. Almost immediately, officers opened fire, and Cardenas dropped to the pavement. The object in her hand clattered into the street.

After handcuffing her, officers attempted to resuscitate Cardenas. She was taken by ambulance to L.A. County-USC Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead, police said.

Only later did officers see she had been holding a pellet gun that looked like a revolver, according to a photo on the LAPD website. It had a black barrel and brownish grip.

The shooting occurred within eight seconds of officers encountering Cardenas.

The incident will be reviewed by LAPD investigators, who will consider such factors as whether the officers should have reasonably assumed Cardenas was armed and whether they should have fired, knowing she was standing near a homeless encampment.

The findings eventually will be presented to the LAPD's civilian oversight commission. Such investigations typically take from several months to a year.

At least one or two of the police bullets may have struck a pair of tents near the overpass, according to a search warrant application by Frank Marino, a detective with the department's Force Investigations Division.

The warrant sought permission from a judge to search the two tents for any bloody clothing, spent shell casings and a red jacket with apparent bullet holes that officers observed from outside the tent.

Marino wrote in the warrant application that two holes found in the tents tested positive for lead, suggesting they were made by bullets.

It was not clear whether someone was inside the tents at the time of the shooting.

The incident drew widespread criticism online after the department revealed that McBride was involved. She became the third member of her immediate family to shoot someone in the line of duty.

Her father, Jamie McBride, the controversial union official, was involved in at least six police shootings, none fatal, in the first 11 years of his career. His other daughter, Toni McBride — a sharp-shooting influencer and model on Instagram who joined the LAPD in 2017 — fatally shot Daniel Hernandez in 2020 in South Los Angeles after he moved toward her with a knife.

After a months-long internal investigation, the Police Commission found that Toni's use of deadly force was justified, but that the last two of her six shots were out of policy.

She was later cleared of wrongdoing in a separate investigation by the office of California Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta, which investigates most shootings of unarmed civilians by police. But the ruling was met with skepticism because it was based in part on the analysis of a police use-of-force consultant whose work has been criticized for years as illegitimate.

Unlike her better-known relatives, Jacqueline McBride seems to avoid the limelight.

Little is known about Cardenas, and attempts to reach her relatives through a GoFundMe page set up to help pay funeral expenses were unsuccessful. A tribute video posted online, set to the stirring horns of La Adictiva's “Mi Último Día,” said she “was a mother, a daughter, she was a sister, she was a friend.”

It is not clear whether she was homeless, as some news accounts and advocates have suggested. Public records show a person with her name lived at an address in the 500 block of Rampart Boulevard — roughly a mile south of where the shooting occurred.

https://www.lapdonline.org/newsroom/officer-involved-shooting-in-rampart-division-nrf010-23hg/

The officers involved in the below incident have been identified as Police Officer II Miguel Salazar, Serial No. 39782, Police Officer II Jacqueline McBride, Serial No. 44671 and Police Officer I Preston Moseby, Serial No. 44995, all three officers are assigned to Rampart Division.

Mariela Cardenas (low quality):

Weapon used:

Video source:

Full video:

https://www.wmar2news.com/local/body-cam-footage-shows-frederick-police-shooting-knife-wielding-man

4 March 2023

FREDERICK, Md. — Body-worn camera footage of a recent deadly police involved shooting in Frederick was released Thursday.

The incident happened March 4 inside an apartment in the 1500 block of N. East Street.

Police were initially called to the location after being tipped off by a neighbor that Joseph Sherrill, 44, was there.

According to the Maryland Attorney General's Office, Sherrill had an open warrant for violating probation. He'd been convicted of fourth degree burglary back in 2019 and allegedly violated the terms of his probation in February during an alleged domestic assault.

The video starts with officers and Sherrill's ex-wife speaking at the front door.

Police ask whether Sherrill is inside, for which his ex-wife denies.

She tells police about a previous protective order against Sherrill, and suggests he's at a local hotel "running around" with another girl.

One officer repeatedly asks her for permission to search the home. She declines multiple times, citing distrust of the police.

Only under the threat of being arrested for lying, does she finally allow officers inside.

They eventually find Sherrill hiding inside a bedroom closet with a knife.

When ordered to drop the weapon, Sherrill refuses saying "you're gonna have to shoot me," forcing officers to retreat into the living room.

Things quickly turn chaotic as the ex-wife attempts getting in-between the officers and Sherrill . There's also a frightened dog seen pacing around the home.

A second camera angle shows Sherrill entering the hallway, shouting "I'm not going to jail."

With knife-in-hand, Sherrill makes his way around the corner and rapidly into the living room.

Officers Robert Hess and Fahad Mirza react by firing their gun a total of seven times, killing Sherrill.

A toxicology report revealed Sherrill had fentanyl and amphetamine in his system at the time of his death.

Although the Frederick County State's Attorney's Office already declined to charge the officers involved, the Maryland Attorney General's Office issued their own investigative report.

In it they conclude "any less lethal response by these officers would likely not be sufficient to counter the level of immediate deadly force presented by Mr. Sherrill."

Investigative report:

https://www.marylandattorneygeneral.gov/Pages/IID/Reports/030423_IID_Report.pdf

Video source:

traffic cam footage shows Scottsdale police chasing a stolen vehicle

the suspect eventually pulls over and fires at cops

the suspects name is 52-year-old Laquanza Young.

the footage has been enhanced as much as possible to give you guys the best viewing experience

AUSTIN, Texas - A man is dead, and several others were hurt after a shooting in downtown Austin, according to police.

The Austin Police Department said the shooting happened along East 6th Street on a late Saturday night after a man tried to get inside a bar with a gun.

Investigators said an employee at the bar identified the gunman to APD.

As officers approached him, the man pulled out his weapon and pointed it at police and innocent bystanders. APD said that's when three officers shot the gunman multiple times. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police said three other people were also hurt during the shooting, but police did not say how. According to APD, one person is in critical condition, while the other two have non-life-threatening injuries.

Austin police said all three officers are on administrative duty as they investigate the shooting. APD Interim Chief Robin Henderson said all three officers have at least nine years of experience with the department.

As always, APD said bodycam footage of the shooting will be released within 10 business days. APD's Special Investigations Unit and the Travis County District Attorney's Officer will launch a criminal investigation into the shooting, while APD's Internal Affairs Unit, along with the Office of Police Oversight, will take charge of an administrative investigation.

Full video:

https://www.latimes.com/socal/daily-pilot/news/story/2023-03-21/seal-beach-police-release-video-of-january-fatal-shooting-as-das-investigation-continues

16 January 2023

Seal Beach police last week released officer body camera footage and an audio clip of a 911 call made from a local residence on Jan. 16 that ultimately led to the fatal police shooting of a 47-year-old man.

Two officers reportedly fired shots during the incident, still being investigated by the Orange County district attorney's office and under internal review.

In a video posted on social media on Friday, Chief Michael Henderson and Capt. Nick Nicholas offer a rundown of events that took place shortly after 9:30 p.m. that night on the 100 block of Old Ranch Road, when a woman called the police to report a man outside her home.

“There's somebody banging on my door,” an unidentified woman is heard telling a 911 dispatcher in the recording, explaining her two children are also in the house. “Oh, my god — he's kicking my door in.”

Although the caller says she doesn't initially recognize the individual, she soon after identifies him to the dispatcher, describing him as an ex-boyfriend against whom she'd previously filed a restraining order.

In the video, which provides edited segments of footage, police arrive at the property and are shown on one officer's body-worn camera engaging with the individual, later identified as Michael Bernard Emch Jr, 47, of Irvine.

Officers ask Emch to show his hands, identify himself and explain his relationship to the 911 caller. When he later fails to obey commands to raise his hands or take a seat, at least one officer is shown with his gun drawn.

Police threaten to use a taser to subdue Emch, seen with one hand inside his pants pocket, if he does not comply. As he makes his way back toward the residence, officers tase him and fire several rounds.

At one point, Emch is heard saying to police, “Finish me off” and is told to shut up. Orange County Fire Authority paramedics were called to the scene and transported Emch to nearby Hoag Hospital, where he died from injuries roughly one hour later, a family member confirmed Tuesday.

Nicholas explains on the video that Emch was found in possession of a loaded firearm that had been taken from concealment during the shooting. Spent shell casings from that gun, and another not belonging to police, were retrieved from the scene.

“A pointed metal weapon and three knives were located on his person. Additionally, a loaded magazine was located on Mr. Emch at the hospital,” Nicholas says, describing how a restraining order forbade Emch from being within 100 yards of the 911 caller or her residence.

SBPD spokeswoman Lt. Julia Clasby said the city has not recorded a fatal police shooting in more than 20 years, so created a “critical incident debriefing” video.

The act was a response to California's Assembly Bill 748, which requires law enforcement agencies to share body-worn camera footage of most police shootings and other serious uses of force with the public within 45 days of the action taking place.

“It's an opportunity for us to take control of our own narrative and give that context and clarification on the body-worn camera footage in our own voice without compromising any of the investigations,” Clasby said Tuesday.

“We have nothing to hide — this is part of our ongoing mission and message of transparency with our community.”

The spokeswoman said the video was shared with Emch's family members ahead of the Friday release, a fact his sister, Christie Applefield, confirmed Tuesday.

Applefield said her brother, an electrician by trade, had been in town staying at a nearby motel to be close to a paying job and may have been dealing with mental illness when the shooting occurred.

“I think there was a little mental illness going on, and I think that was overlooked by doctors,” the Carlsbad resident said Tuesday, reflecting on how shocked she and her family were to hear her brother on video pleading to be killed.

“They shot so many times that, for somebody who was feeling so bad, it may have been easier in his mind (to die). All of us were just so heartbroken that had to be the end of it.” She added that she and the family are relieved no one else was injured that night.

Applefield said the Seal Beach Police Department website indicates officers learn de-escalation strategies as part of their training and wonders if that was a consideration the night of her brother's death.

“If it had been de-escalated quickly, could it have turned out differently?” she wondered aloud.

Follow-up:

https://www.latimes.com/socal/daily-pilot/news/story/2024-01-04/seal-beach-officers-in-citys-first-fatal-police-shooting-in-20-years-cleared-by-ocda

Two Seal Beach police officers who fatally shot an armed 47-year-old Irvine man outside the home of a woman who had filed a restraining order against him have been cleared following an investigation by the Orange County district attorney's office.

Prosecutors recently released the findings from a Nov. 29 report that determined the actions of Cpl. Bruno Balderrama and Officer Arion Knight — who on the night of Jan. 16, 2023 shot Michael Bernard Emch, Jr. 24 times after he refused to comply with commands and pointed a firearm at one of them — were reasonable and justifiable.

Investigators from the district's attorney's office determined the Seal Beach officers attempted to get Emch to comply through reasonable, nonlethal means before using their firearms and generally acted in self-defense.

“Corporal Balderrama and Officer Knight were justified in believing that Emch posed a significant threat of death or serious physical injury to themselves and others,” investigators wrote in their report. “The evidence supports the conclusion that [they] exercised reasonable judgment when they decided it was necessary to use deadly force against Emch.”

Michael Bernard Emch Jr:

Video source:

Full video:

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2023-03-20/video-shows-oxnard-police-fatal-shooting

12 March 2023

A man was shot and killed by Oxnard police this month after he charged them with a 5-foot metal pole and screamed, “I hate pigs,” according to body camera footage released by the department.

Adam Barcenas, 60, was killed March 12 while three police officers were speaking to a person during a DUI traffic stop, police said Friday when they released the footage.

The shooting unfolded in the 100 block of West 4th Street, according to the Oxnard Police Department.

Barcenas is heard screaming profanities at the officers in the video before he appears on screen. Officers wave away the man they were speaking to during the traffic stop as Barcenas approaches them with the large metal pole.

He charged toward the three officers, who told Barcenas to drop the pole. Barcenas continued to move toward the officers, shouting, “I hate pigs” and “I hate you,” the video shows.

Officers Alexus Santos and Bryce Parker drew their Taser stun guns, while Officer Shayn Schwartz drew his firearm and fired four shots, according to the Police Department. Three of the four shots hit Barcenas in the right leg, left hip, and the upper part of his body, police said in a statement.

Santos fired her Taser, but investigators said the probes did not break through Barcena's clothing. Parker did not fire his Taser.

Barcenas was not involved in the DUI traffic stop that initially brought the officers to the sidewalk around 6 a.m., police said.

Officers gave Barcenas first aid until paramedics arrived, according to the department. He was taken to Ventura County Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead around 8:30 a.m., police said.

No one else was harmed during the incident, which took about 10 seconds to unfold.

Barcenas was found guilty in 2019 of felony elder abuse in connection with two separate attacks against a man and a woman, according to the Ventura County district attorney's office.

Armida Castro, 71, died about a week after one of the attacks, but prosecutors declined to file homicide charges against Barcenas because Castro's death could not be directly linked to the assault due to her “significant pre-existing medical conditions,” the district attorney's office said.

Barcenas was sentenced to six years in prison for the attacks, but it was unclear why he was out of custody this month.

Officers Scwhartz and Parker joined the Oxnard Police Department in April and Santos joined in 2020, the department said in a statement. None had been involved in a shooting before this one.

Investigators with the department's major crimes unit will review the shooting and submit a report to the Ventura County district attorney's office, Oxnard Police Chief Jason Benites said. Prosecutors will determine whether the shooting was legally justified, and the Police Department's Professional Standards Division will determine whether the officers acted within policy, Benites said.

Adam Barcenas:

More detailed article:

https://www.vcstar.com/story/news/2023/04/15/adam-barcenas-death-prompts-reflection-by-prosecutor-victims-family/70105069007/

Video source:

Full video by Police Incidents

https://nypost.com/2024/01/11/news/cop-charged-with-murder-of-grandmother-teresa-gomez/

3 October 2023

A New Mexico police officer has been charged with murder after shocking bodycam video showed him fatally shooting a grandmother while she drove away from him during a traffic stop.

Las Cruces cop Felipe Hernandez turned himself in Tuesday and was charged with second-degree murder with a firearm enhancement in the Oct. 3 death of Teresa Gomez, 45, KFOX reported.

Previously released bodycam footage showed him firing at least three rounds after warning Gomez he would “really make her life a living hell.”

“There was no necessity for him to use deadly force,” Doña Ana County District Attorney Gerald Byers said of the officer who was never in the “zone of danger.”

“We looked at self-defense. There was no self-defense.”

The dead grandmother's family has also filed a federal wrongful-death lawsuit against the city and police alleging excessive force and violation of her civil rights.

Hernandez stopped Gomez about 5 a.m. as she drove with a passenger, Jesus Garcia, 38, whom he then recognized as a frequent trespasser, KFOX said.

The roughly nine-minute-long video showed the eight-year veteran shining his flashlight into the vehicle and noticing that the passenger had a paintball gun.

Hernandez questions Gomez, saying he believes she was trespassing — which she denies several times – and asking her to get out of her car.

She refuses to step out and tells him, “Don't touch me,” as he reaches for her arm, but eventually complies after Hernandez threatens to shoot her with a Taser.

Gomez tells him she had been at a public housing complex after hours visiting a friend called Butterfly, but he again tells her she was trespassing.

At one point, he recognizes the passenger as Garcia.

“Jesus Garcia,” Hernandez exclaims. “Holy f–k, you're back on the f—ing property!”

The officer then tells Gomez that Garcia has a warrant for his arrest and is not allowed to be on the property. The exchange becomes heated as he uses profanity and threatens to tow the vehicle.

“You don't listen,” he tells Gomez after she questions why he needs her name. “Because I'm doing a f—ing investigation. You're just like Jesus Garcia. You want to argue all the time.”

He tells her that she needs to cooperate or he will “really, really make her life a living hell,” the video shows.

As he writes down her information, he allows Gomez to get back into the car, but she immediately tries to drive off with the door open and he fires off at least three rounds, yelling, “Stop! Stop!”

Gomez can be heard screaming as the car stops a few feet away.

Garcia, who was later arrested on multiple warrants, had pending felony drug and burglary charges, according to the Las Cruces Sun-News.

Hernandez had been on administrative leave as of Oct. 17 before his arrest on the murder charge. The Las Cruces Police Department had not publicly identified him previously.

“From the very beginning of Mr. Hernandez's interaction with Ms. Gomez, the ability to manage protocol is non-existent,” said Byers, the district attorney. “His interactions with her, just on a human level, was exceptionally subpar and did not meet the standards that LCPD demands of its officers.”

He noted that Gomez could be seen backing up her car toward Hernandez, but said the cop was not in the “zone of danger” when he opened fire, KOB reported.

“Teresa Gomez was not a fleeing felon because she did not present a danger to Officer Hernandez or anyone else,” Byers said.

Hernandez had been involved in previous use-of-force incidents but had never killed anyone until the deadly encounter, according to the Las Cruces Sun-News.

Gomez's family has filed a federal wrongful-death lawsuit against the city and police alleging excessive force and violation of her civil rights.

“The Las Cruces Police Department's lack of internal oversight and supervision has allowed a culture of aggression to develop, promoting an acceptance of unlawful use of deadly force contributing to the preventable death of Teresa Gomez,” the family's attorney, Shannon Kennedy, recently told CNN.

Las Cruces Interim Police Chief Jeremy Story told the outlet in November that it “is certainly a matter of concern when there are controversial officer-involved shootings.

“We take a critical look at training, policy, and equipment after all critical incidents and look for areas of concern that need to be addressed. Any response must be based on objective measures and cannot influence the criminal investigation,” he said.

Gomez's family has struggled to make sense of her death.

“If you've seen the video, the beginning – with just how the officer was talking to my mom … for any son, daughter, mother, father, like, it's hard to see someone, a grown man, talk to your mom like that,” her eldest son, Johny Gomez, told CNN.

“We didn't understand at what point it went wrong because it didn't seem like it could go wrong,” her sister, Angela Lozano-Gutierrez, told the outlet. “From, like, everything that happened, it seemed like it was kind of, like, getting to the part where they were just going to let her go.

“And so, it was just shocking that it ended with her dying,” she added.

Teresa Gomez:

Officer Felipe Hernandez:

Gun memorial:

https://gunmemorial.org/2023/10/03/teresa-gomez

Video source:

Full video:

https://www.ocala.com/story/news/local/2023/10/25/man-shot-by-deputy-during-tuesday-traffic-stop-has-died-fdle-investigating/71312438007/

24 October 2023

SILVER SPRINGS SHORES — The man shot by a Marion County Sheriff's deputy during a traffic stop Tuesday night has died.

Sheriff's office officials have identified the deceased as 26-year-old Rasheem Edwards of Silver Springs Shores.

Agency officials have released more information about the incident. Here's what we know:

Sheriff's office officials said the deputy, whose name has not been released, stopped Edwards because he was operating an unregistered motor vehicle — a dirt bike — on the roadway. The bike did not have proper equipment and wasn't registered, officials said.

Authorities said Edwards was talking with the deputy at the location of the traffic stop — Emerald Road at Maricamp Road in Silver Springs Shores — when Edwards decided to run.

The deputy chased Edwards, who had a firearm concealed in his waistband, according to sheriff's officials. When the deputy caught up with Edwards, Edwards reached for the gun in his waistband.

An agency spokesperson said the situation called for the use of deadly force. The deputy withdrew his firearm and shot Edwards.

The traffic stop occurred about 7:15 p.m. Nearby, children were playing football in an open grassy lot.

The children and adults with them were not hurt. Neither was the deputy.

The sheriff's office has contacted the children's parents and notified them about counselling availability. The agency also has offered its crisis specialist to assist.

Deputies have not said what type of firearm Edwards had in his possession, how many times Edwards was shot, or if this was the first encounter between Edwards and the deputy.

The deputy's name will not be released. He invoked Marsy's Law, which forbids the official release of victim information.

Officials said the deputy has been with the agency for a little more than a year and is assigned to the Silver Springs Shores District, which is one of 11 stand-alone districts countywide.

The deputy has not been involved in any other shootings, officials said.

Local defense lawyer Jimmie Sparrow is representing the deputy.

Sparrow, a former Belleview police officer and prosecutor, told a Star-Banner reporter on Wednesday that his client will be interviewed by agents from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, which investigates officer-involved shootings.

Sparrow said he visited the deputy at the Silver Springs Shores District office on Tuesday night. He said so far he's doing "as well as can be expected under the circumstances."

Records show Edwards was arrested in May and accused of providing a false name to a law enforcement officer and driving without a valid driver's license.

According to that arrest report, an Ocala Police Department officer noticed the driver of an older model Mazda speeding and driving erratically on State Road 200. The officer stopped the vehicle at Walgreens.

Edwards told the officer his name, and said he was from Jamaica and here for work. He said he had a Jamaican driver's license, but did not have it with him at that time.

The officer checked his information and did not find anything connected to that name. Once arrested, Edwards was taken to the county jail. A fingerprint check showed his name actually was Rasheem Edwards, and that he had an active warrant from New York for his arrest. The charge: attempted burglary.

In June, Edwards pleaded guilty to his local charges and was sentenced to 31 days in jail. Edwards was released in July, according to jail records. Edwards' driver's license was suspended until he resolved all of his financial obligations.

Rasheem Edwards:

Video source:

https://www.facebook.com/mcsoflorida/videos/875354250967140/

This all happened during a surfing competition. When taken in by media he died on the way to the hospital.

Full video:

https://www.fox10phoenix.com/news/domestic-violence-call-ends-deadly-in-surprise-what-we-know

10 March 2024

SURPRISE, Ariz. - Surprise Police officials have released new details on a deadly weekend shooting that involved one of their officers.

The incident happened at around 3 a.m. on March 10, when officers responded to the area of Waddell and Dysart roads. According to a statement released by Surprise Police on Mar. 11, officers responded to the area following a call that involved a "reported argument between a husband and wife who live at the home."

"Two Surprise police officers responded. As one of the officers entered the home, the adult female ran outside," read a portion of the statement.

Police say they were then confronted by a man, identified as 44-year-old Trinidad Ledesma.

Ledesma, investigators say, was armed with a shotgun, and that was when the officer-involved shooting happened.

"The Buckeye Police Department will investigate this incident as part of the West Valley Investigative Response Team protocols," Surprise PD said, in an earlier statement.

https://ktar.com/story/5569240/footage-shows-surprise-police-fatally-shooting-man-during-domestic-dispute-call/

PHOENIX — Newly released body camera footage shows the moments leading up to when Surprise police fatally shot a man during a domestic dispute call in Surprise last month.

The incident occurred after officers arrived at a residence near Dysart and Waddell roads around 3 a.m. on March 10, the Surprise Police Department said in a critical incident briefing video released Friday.

They were responding to a call from a minor reporting a domestic verbal argument.

“My parents are, uh, keep on arguing and they're like, keeping me up all night and it's just being annoying,” the caller said.

After the dispatcher asked if there were any weapons inside the house, the caller replied, “Uh, no, I don't think so. I think they're just, like, verbally arguing but like sometimes they do this and … it just gets out of control.”

When two officers arrived, they could hear screaming inside the residence.

As the officers approached the front door, a woman exited and said, “He's trying to hit me.”

One officer stayed with the woman, while the other entered into the home.

As the officer opened the door, 44-year-old Trinidad Ledesma could be seen walking from the living room to the kitchen area, out of the camera view.

“As the officer turned the corner, he encountered Ledesma facing him with a black shotgun in his right hand,” Sgt. Richard Hernandez said in the briefing video.

Ledesma could be heard in the video saying, “Don't come in. Don't come near, boss.”

According to Hernandez, Ledesma began to bring his shotgun up, in the officer's direction, prompting the officer to fire his weapon at least seven times. Ledesma was pronounced dead at the scene.

The officer involved in the fatal shooting has six years of service experience, with less than one year with the Surprise Police Department.

An investigation into the shooting is being conducted by the Maricopa County Attorney's Office.

Trinidad Ledesma:

Video source:

Full video:

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/apr/01/california-police-video-shooting-15-year-old-girl-savannah-graziano

27 September 2022

Newly released law enforcement footage captures the moment California police fatally shot an unarmed 15-year-old girl who was a reported kidnapping victim.

On 27 September 2022, San Bernardino county sheriff's deputies were searching for Savannah Graziano, who was feared abducted by her father Anthony Graziano after he had fatally shot her mother the day before.

Deputies cornered Anthony Graziano's vehicle on the side of a freeway in Hesperia, 80 miles east of Los Angeles. When Savannah exited the vehicle, they opened fire and killed her. The shooting sparked national concern, with critics questioning how officers wound up killing the teenage girl they were tasked with rescuing.

Sheriff's officials claimed following the shooting that it was unclear whether Savannah was shot by deputies or her father, and they said deputies didn't realize it was her when she got out of the car. For nearly two years, they refused to release footage of the shooting.

But on Friday, the department disclosed nearly a dozen video files to the independent journalist Joey Scott, who filed records requests 18 months prior. The clips – which were shared with the Guardian and include helicopter footage – show deputies shooting at Savannah as she followed their instructions to move toward them. The videos also suggest deputies shot her after two officers remarked that it was the girl who exited. The footage, and the sheriff's narration of the video, further make clear she was killed by deputies, not her father.

The sheriff's department declined to comment.

The footage will increase scrutiny on the sheriff's department, already under fire after deputies last month killed Ryan Gainer, an autistic 15-year-old boy. Ryan was having a mental health episode when he was fatally shot by two deputies within seconds of encountering him. The killing raised concerns about the use of lethal force on children and failures to de-escalate crises.

The search for Savannah started on 26 September 2022, when her father, say officials, shot and killed her mother (his estranged wife) and shot at a father and his child outside a school in nearby Fontana. Authorities that day issued an Amber alert for Savannah, saying she was suspected “abducted/taken” by her father.

The following morning, a 911 caller reported seeing Graziano's pickup truck and Savannah purchasing items at a gas station. Police soon located Graziano speeding on a nearby freeway, prompting the start of a chaotic chase.

When deputies caught up with the vehicle, shots were fired from inside toward police, according to the department, which shared photos that showed its cars were damaged.

The footage released on Friday is the first to shed light on what happened next. Filmed by a California highway patrol (CHP) helicopter, it captures Anthony Graziano speeding through traffic and deputies reaching him after he attempted to drive up an embankment, but lost traction.

When the car stopped near deputies, the footage shows, Savannah exited the vehicle, and a CHP official on the radio can be heard stating : “Girl is out, the girl is out, guys. She's out on the passenger side.”

The video shows she crouches on the ground for about 10 seconds, and then walks toward a group of about seven deputies, followed by a boom that appears to be at least one deputy shooting her, though the department blurred out Savannah at this moment. The CHP dispatcher can be heard saying: “Oh no”.

The deputies were not wearing body cameras, but the department also shared audio from the belt of the deputy standing closest to the girl. That audio captures the deputy shouting: “Passenger, get out!” as gunfire is heard in the background. The deputy then shouts: “Come to me! Come, come, come … walk, walk, walk”.

He then says: “Hey! Stop! Stop shooting her! He's in the car!” At least four shots can be heard in the background after he said to stop. The sheriff's statement describing that audio said: “You can hear [a deputy] calling her over and telling other deputies that the person who exited the truck was the passenger and for them to stop firing, but it was too late.”

Savannah was pronounced dead at a hospital. Anthony was also shot by deputies and died at the scene, though the clips do not make clear when that happened. It is also unclear how many officers shot Savannah and how many bullets hit her. The department said Savannah was wearing “tactical gear and a helmet” when she exited, but the footage doesn't clearly capture her outfit.

The evidence released last week also does not make clear who fired at police from inside Graziano's vehicle. The sheriff's department has suggested that Graziano was firing at officers, and that it's possible Savannah also did. The department said “this aspect” of the incident remains under investigation.

CJ Wyatt, Savannah's uncle, said he understood it was a confusing and chaotic situation for officers to manage, but that his niece should not have been shot: “There needs to be better training so that unarmed people aren't killed. Hopefully this video can be used for training – something has to be done differently. She didn't have to die.”

In the video, the police response appeared disorganized, he said, and it sounded as if at least one deputy who was calling Savannah was trying to protect her: “You can tell he was really trying to save her, so it's just unfortunate that there was some kind of miscommunication. He clearly knew it was Savannah, so what is the difference between him and the others?”

Wyatt said blame ultimately lay with Savannah's father, who he described as “abusive and manipulative”. As her parents were separating in the weeks prior, Savannah had been living in her father's truck, he added: “She was a really sweet girl at her core, and she didn't deserve this.” He also paid tribute to his sister, Tracy Martinez, killed by Graziano: “She was a dedicated mother, a hard worker [as a pharmacy technician] and a caring individual.” He said he hoped more people struggling with abuse reached out for help.

Sharon Brunner, a civil rights lawyer in San Bernardino county, reviewed the footage for the Guardian and said it appeared no one was in charge of coordinating the officers' strategy. She said it was possible there was “contagious” fire, with deputies' own shots encouraging others to fire. “San Bernardino county does not train law enforcement to handle these high-stress situations appropriately. They have a very brutal approach of shoot first, ask questions later,” she said.

She said there could have been better efforts to control the scene and get Savannah to safety: “It sounds like the wild, wild west and an innocent child lost her life because of it.”

Jim Terrell, another local civil rights attorney, said the case followed a pattern of the department using “undisciplined fire power”.

“Cover and assessment are replaced with fear, anxiety and lots of shots fired,” he said.

The California department of justice is investigating the case under a law requiring inquiries into police killings of unarmed people. Officials have not named the involved officers.

The footage puts more pressure on an already embattled department. In addition to the killing of Ryan Gainer, the department has faced criticism after a video last week captured a deputy punching and kneeing a man under arrest in Hesperia. In December, a sheriff's deputy was arrested on suspicion of being under the influence of cocaine and resigned. Last year, the sheriff's department also faced wrongful death and wrongful arrest lawsuits.

Savannah Graziano:

Anthony Graziano:

Obituaries:

https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/bloomington-ca/savannah-graziano-10950186

https://gunmemorial.org/2022/09/26/savanna-graziano

Video source:

Full video:

https://nypost.com/2024/03/03/us-news/new-video-shows-moment-nypd-officer-shoot-and-kill-suspect-during-hostage-situation/

23 December 2023

Video footage released by the NYPD shows the moment an officer kills a man with a single gunshot as the unhinged suspect holds his mother in a chokehold while screaming that he had a knife inside a Bronx apartment last December.

Police officer Alex Morgese fired a single shot at suspect Michael Dotel, striking him in the head just inches from the victim's face during the tense confrontation on Dec. 23, according to the footage and police.

The 30-year-old suspect fell backward to the floor and was later pronounced dead at St. Barnabas Hospital.

Police were initially called to the scene in the Bedford Park neighborhood around 11:30 a.m. on a 911 call of a perp who might have been on drugs, was acting violently and armed with a knife, authorities said.

Police said on Friday that Dotel held the victim in a chokehold with his right arm around her neck and his left hand applying more pressure to his right arm.

As the victim was losing consciousness, police opened fire, authorities said Friday.

“Do it, she's gonna get it,” Dotel shouts at Morgese and his partner as he holds his mother in front of him as a shield, according to the new bodycam footage released.

“Shoot me, shoot me,” he screams in the apartment's living room as he continues to dare cops to do it, the video shows.

When Morgese asks where the knife is and says to drop it, Dotel replies, “I got the knife,” footage shows.

“Drop the knife, where is it,” Morgese says again just seconds before he fires his gun.

When police first reached the apartment, a younger woman ran out of the unit with apparent slice wounds to her face, police said.

Police said in December that two victims were injured during the violent episode.

Police initially said hours after the shooting that Dotel held his mother at knifepoint, though in the updated narrative, police stated he claimed to have the knife.

A photo of a large carving knife found at the scene was released by authorities at the time. An email to the NYPD for clarification was not immediately returned Sunday night.

“Today was a complete tragedy during this holiday season,” NYPD Chief of Patrol John Chell said during a press conference back then.

He commended the two cops for their composure, adding that their actions saved family members' lives.

The husband of the victim echoed that sentiment, telling The Post at the time that police had no choice but to shoot Dotel.

“I was standing next to the officer. The officer told him three times to (put) down the knife, let her go. He said, ‘Either kill me or I'll kill her,'” the husband previously said.

NYPD's assistant commissioner for public information, Carlos Nieves, said Friday in videotaped remarks that an internal investigation into the shooting was ongoing.

The New York Attorney General's Office said days after the shooting that it was also investigating the incident.

That investigation is ongoing, the AG's Office said Sunday night.

Dotel had a history of mental illness and three open criminal cases against him at the time of the shooting, police sources previously said.

https://nypost.com/2023/12/24/metro/nyc-man-killed-by-cops-while-holding-own-mom-hostage-was-called-the-hulk-by-kin/

Excerpt from article:

The deranged Bronx man shot dead by cops while holding his own mother at knifepoint was dubbed “The Hulk” by kin because of his brute strength — and had three open criminal cases against him.

One of the pending cases against dead suspect Michael Dotel, 30, involved a drug warrant, which meant he was being sought by cops when he choked and put a knife to his mom's neck in Bedford Park on Saturday before police opened fire, law-enforcement sources said.

Dotel had a history of mental illness and the three pending arrests against him when cops confronted him around 11:20 a.m. in his family's 13th-floor apartment on Creston Avenue, police and relatives said.

His mom's husband said Dotel had a history of mental illness and drug use. Records show he has at least two cases pending in the Bronx — an assault case involving a child and a gun, resisting arrest and menacing bust, both separate incidents dating to August.

Sources said Dotel was also sought on a warrant for third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance at the time of his encounter with cops.

Relatives said he was nicknamed “The Hulk” for his massive build and strength.

https://www.norwoodnews.org/brokenhearted-mother-speaks-of-tragedy-of-sons-fatal-shooting-amid-domestic-violence-incident/

Six days after a domestic violence incident involving her son during which police officers acted to save a mother's life, and in the process fatally shot her son, the victim's heartbroken mother spoke briefly about the tragedy.

“Clary,” the mother of fatal gunshot victim, Michael Dotel, 30, who, as reported, was fatally shot on Saturday, Dec. 23, spoke to Norwood News briefly as she exited 2865 Creston Avenue, where the incident transpired.

The grieving mother's right eye was seen bruised and black, and the area underneath her left eye was also black. Clary, 45, was asked if, in her opinion, she felt the police had handled the situation correctly. She replied simply, “No.”

She then went on to say that she had sought help for her son two weeks earlier, recalling, “I tried to ask for help in the hospital for mental… he was so depressed, before, yes. They didn't help me. I took him for observation. They didn't do anything at St. Barnabas Hospital.”

Asked if there was a GoFundMe page set up to help her with expenses, Clary replied, “I need someone to help me make one. I need help with that.” Another family member added that the family hoped to create one to help with Dotel's burial expenses, as well as establishing a trust fund for Dotel's two children.

The same family member added that the family would hold “one press conference” to announce the launch of the GoFundMe page, as well as dispel many of what they said were “rumors going around” about what happened, adding that some residents of the block spoke to members of the media and some of the information shared “was not correct.”

Clary was asked about a photo which had been placed above a memorial for her son, surrounded by candles outside the building. Clary sadly replied, “That's my son. That was him, before.”

A message affixed below the photo, which we were informed had been written by Dotel's sister, read, “To the first love of my life, I can't believe I'm sitting here writing this.” It continued, “It pains me that you are no longer with us.”

Asked what had been upsetting Dotel before his death, his mother replied, “He was depressed and he had a lot of problems.” She added, “It's very sad.”

Michael Dotel:

Weapon used:

Video source:

Full video:

https://www.fox5dc.com/news/body-cam-footage-released-in-deadly-suitland-shooting

1 February 2024

SUITLAND, Md. - Body-worn camera footage of the fatal shooting of a 31-year-old man in Suitland from earlier this month was released on Monday.

The Independent Investigations Division (IID) of the Maryland Office of the Attorney General released footage of the fatal officer shooting of 31-year-old Melvin Jay of Suitland.

On February 1, Prince George's County officers responded to an apartment in the 5100 block of Suitland Road after receiving a 911 call reporting a breaking and entering.

Police Chief Malik Aziz told reporters earlier this month that a patrol officer was sent to the Windham Creek Apartments. The officer entered the unit and found a man inside, according to Aziz.

"An exchange happened and that officer discharged his weapon, striking the adult male one time," Aziz said.

The chief clarified that it was a verbal exchange between the officer and Jay that led to the gunfire. Jay was pronounced dead by officials at the scene.

The officer who discharged their weapon has been identified as Prince George's County Police Officer Braxton Shelton.

PGPD said that two handguns were found near Jay, one in his pocket and another in the kitchen sink. Jay was identified as a resident of the home, but was not the one who made the 911 call, police say.

The investigation into the shooting is ongoing.

https://www.fox5dc.com/news/family-reacts-to-release-of-body-worn-camera-footage-showing-deadly-police-shooting-fox-5-exclusive

SUITLAND, Md. - In a FOX 5 exclusive, family is speaking out after newly released body-worn camera footage shows an officer shoot and kill a man inside the Maryland apartment where he lived.

The video shows the fatal officer-involved shooting of 31-year-old Melvin Jay of Suitland. It was released Monday by the Independent Investigations Division (IID) of the Maryland Office of the Attorney General.

FOX 5's Shomari Stone says Jay's family is devastated after watching the officer's body camera video.

"We are hurt. We are just tormented by the video, the fact that we cannot hear him, hug him, say ‘I love you,' it's just devastating to all of us," said Jay's cousin in an exclusive interview with Stone. "We seek justice. We are going to allow this to unfold, allow the truth to come out, you know, and seek justice for my cousin. Because he deserves it. He did not deserve what happened to him."

Attorney Andrew Clark represents Jay's family in a civil suit that has yet to be filed. He says the shooting is not justified.

"For compliance to happen, and for you still to be shot, what kind of world are we living in here today? Melvin Jay did not deserve to die," Clark said.

"Well, I ask you, to sit in your home, on your cozy couch, and have somebody that you don't know that is coming into your house, barge into your house, and start making commands to you, and see how you react to that," Clark added.

The Maryland Office of the Attorney General IID continues to lead the investigation into the shooting.

Meanwhile, Shelton remains on paid administrative leave.

Melvin Jay:

More reading:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2024/02/05/melvin-jay-killed-prince-georges-police/

https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2024/03/06/melvin-jay-prince-georges-police-shooting/

Video source:

Witness video:

https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/protesters-call-for-updates-on-philly-police-shooting-that-left-man-dead/3821770/

26 January 2024

A protest was held outside the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office more than two months after a man was shot and killed by police inside a corner store.

The rally, organized by the Party for Socialism and Liberation as well as friends and family of 28-year-old Alexander Spencer, took place around 11:30 a.m. on Thursday outside District Attorney Larry Krasner's office in Center City.

On Jan. 26, 2024, Spencer – known by his loved ones as “Spence” – was shot and killed during a caught-on-camera altercation with police officers inside a store along the 2800 block of North Mascher Street. Protesters on Thursday demanded an update on the investigation.

“The community has been told that we have to wait 90 days for any progress on this case,” said Xiomara Torres, an organizer with the Party for Socialism and Liberation. “No matter the results of this 90-day investigation, we know that Spence's death, like so many others, was completely avoidable. If officers had not been conducting stop-and-frisks and harassing patrons of that corner store, Spence would be alive today.”

NBC10 reached out to the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office for comment on the protest.

"We support their right to voice their concerns," a spokesperson wrote. "The investigation into the fatal shooting of Alexander Spencer is ongoing. We have no further comment at this time."

The shooting occurred on Jan. 26 around 8:45 p.m. at a grocery store along the 2800 block of North Mascher Street.

Deputy Commissioner Frank Vanore said two 24th District officers were on a routine patrol inside an unmarked Ford Taurus. The officers parked outside the store and one of the officers walked inside for a security check, according to Vanore.

"He was armed with the information that there was an individual from that area wanted for a non-fatal shooting warrant," Vanore said. "That shooting had happened a few weeks prior to this night. He knew who that individual was and he knew he hung in the area of that store. So he was out looking for that individual to see if he could contact him."

Surveillance video released by police shows Spencer, an unidentified man in a black hooded sweatshirt, and a third man in a red hooded sweatshirt -- later identified by investigators as 42-year-old Jose Quinones-Mendez -- hanging out in the back of the store.

A fourth man in a light-colored sweatshirt enters the store and says in Spanish, "They're coming," just before the first officer enters the store.

Vanore said that fourth man's words "immediately heightened the officer's suspicion that something was going on in that store."

Video shows the officer then speaking with the man in the light-colored sweatshirt though it's unclear from the video what's being said. The officer then approaches and speaks with Spencer, Quinones-Mendez, and the man in the black sweatshirt. The officer's partner then walks into the store.

Another angle from the surveillance video shows the officers speaking with Spencer though it is once again unclear what is being said. Vanore said one of the officers spotted what he believed to be a gun in Spencer's pocket. The video shows the officers searching Spencer. A struggle between the three men then ensues and the officers wrestle Spencer to the floor.

Spencer is heard shouting, "I can't breathe" as the struggle continues.

A gunshot is then heard. Police said it was at that moment when one of the officers was shot in the leg causing his blood to flow on the floor.

“We now know that he had a double perforating wound," Vanore said. “So he was down in a crouch during the struggle, his leg was bent, and the bullet goes in his thigh, out his thigh, in the back of his calf and out the front of his leg. So, one bullet went through four times.”

Police said the video appeared to show that both officers had their weapons holstered when the first shot was fired.

Police said the wounded officer then pulled out his gun and tried to shoot Spencer but was unable to do so. His partner -- later identified as 33-year-old Raheem Hall -- then pulled out his gun and opened fire, shooting and killing Spencer.

The video shows the wounded officer yelling "I'm shot! I'm shot!" Officer Hall, meanwhile, yells in his radio, "Shots fired!"

Vanore said the wounded officer never fired a shot and Officer Hall only fired one shot, which struck and killed Spencer.

Another angle from the video shows a gun sliding across the floor inside the store after the shooting. Quinones-Mendez and the man in the light-colored sweatshirt are seen filming the officers and Spencer with their phones. Quinones-Mendez then grabs the gun on the floor and leaves the scene. Police said the gun he took belonged to Spencer.

Quinones-Mendez was later arrested on Wednesday, Jan. 31 and charged with theft-unlawful taking, theft-receiving stolen property, violation of the uniform firearms act - no license, violation of the uniform firearms act -on streets, obstructing justice and tampering with evidence.

The officer who was shot in the leg was taken to the hospital and later released.

Friends and family members of Spencer disputed the initial police report of the shooting. One of Spencer's relatives -- who did not want to be identified -- told NBC10 Spencer was playing with a gambling machine at the store prior to the shooting. He believes one of the officers involved did or said something to provoke Spencer.

"He takes care of his kids. He's never just out getting in trouble. He do what he gotta do for his family," the relative said. "It's as simple as that and it's not right what he did."

During the press conference on Jan. 30, Krasner and Vanore said they spoke with Spencer's family who asked that the surveillance video be released.

After seeing the video, Spencer's family members want to know why police targeted him that night, even though it appears he did nothing wrong until police approached him.

"For me, my grief has manifested in anger because when they came to me on Friday, they told me your son shot a cop and in turn the cop shot him," Spencer's mother, Yvette Spencer, told NBC10.

She said she was willing to accept what police had told her until she saw the video.

"But when I see the video, that's not what they told me. When I saw the video, I saw them attack my son and then kill my son," she said.

Before police revealed the surveillance video of the shooting, they were investigating another video of the incident that surfaced on social media.

In the video, two officers lean over Spencer and gunshots are heard though it's unclear who fired at who. After the second gunshot, an officer calls for backup and places his knee on Spencer's head.

Police have not released any bodycam footage of the shooting. During the Jan. 30 press conference, Commissioner Bethel said the body worn camera was not initially activated by the officers and that it was knocked off their clothing during the struggle.

The Philadelphia Police Department's officer-involved shooting unit is leading the investigation. Internal affairs and the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office are also investigating.

Both officers were placed on administrative duty pending the outcome of the investigation. Police said they spoke with the wounded officer but have not yet spoken with Officer Hall pending the outcome of the district attorney's investigation which Krasner says could take up to 90 days to complete.

Officer Hall is a 6-year veteran of the Philadelphia Police Department.

Alexander Spencer:

Jose Quinones-Mendez:

Officer Raheem Hall:

Video source:

https://instagram.com/allthingzphilly/reel/C2o6hj5O3Nb/

Cedar Rapids, Iowa — On August 30, 2022, Cedar Rapids Police officers were dispatched at 5560 6th St SW. following calls for service regarding violent domestic issues. Officers encountered a male subject - later identified as 22-year-olf William Rich - who brandished a weapon and refused their orders to comply. Following protocol, the officers discharged their firearms at the subject. Video shows officers encountering Rich who is holding a knife before a struggle ensues. The officers yell at Rich to get back and fire shots him after he moves at them with a knife. Then, Rich gets back up and moves towards the officers again with the knife still in hand. Officers yell at Rich to get back down before the second round of shots are fired. The officers shot at Rich following protocol after he refused to obey orders. Rich sustained fatal injuries as a result of the officer involved shooting. The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation is investigating the incident. Investigator Christopher Christy and Sergeant Bryson Garringer have been identified as being the officers involved in the incident. They have been placed on paid administrative leave in accordance with standard protocol.

Original video (WARNING: 4K):

Fontana, California, United States

December 13, 2023

Four months after Fontana police fatally shot a man wanted for brandishing a gun, Chief Michael Dorsey on Thursday, April 4, publicly released visual and audio recordings and still images that show three officers chasing him apparently carrying a gun through a commercial area before firing upon him.

Dorsey had cited legally allowed exemptions to the open-records law out of concern that releasing the recordings and images would jeopardize an investigation.

Officer Steven Reed, a department spokesman, said in an interview on Thursday that the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department, which is investigating the shooting, recently told Fontana police they could make the information public. The San Bernardino County District's Attorney's Office is also investigating.

The name of the man killed in the Dec. 13 shooting, Jose Pena Mejia, had been among the details withheld until Thursday. Fontana police had also declined to say whether the suspect had fired on officers and elaborate on their previous statement that officers fired when the “situation escalated.”

Mejia became a wanted man in November when police identified him as a suspect in a firearm brandishing at a market.

Around 7:30 p.m. on Dec. 13, an officer pulled over Mejia's blue pickup near Mango Avenue and Foothill Boulevard in Fontana, Dorsey says in a recording posted on the department's Facebook page, because of a broken tail light. The officer called for backup when he ran a records check and learned that Mejia was wanted.

A recording shows a gun that Dorsey says police found on the ground near Mejia after the shooting.

“Mejia set forth a series of events that forced Fontana police officers to protect both themselves and the community at large”, Dorsey says.

Dorsey adds that Mejia was a documented gang member with convictions for attempted murder, domestic violence and kidnapping.

Family members of Mejia accused the city of repeatedly refusing to release documents and recordings of the shooting to their attorneys, according to a lawsuit they filed in late January.

https://www.sbsun.com/2024/04/04/fontana-police-release-recordings-of-armed-suspect-fatally-shot-after-traffic-stop/

Original video:

Pacifica, California, United States

Police in Pacifica released additional details after officers fatally shot a woman suspected of shooting her son during a confrontation last week.

On Thursday, the department provided an update on the investigation, which included identifying the woman, the officers who shot the woman, along with releasing body-worn camera video of the incident. The video is graphic and viewer discretion is advised.

"It is always tragic when law enforcement intervenes with deadly force, regardless of the circumstances. It impacts the family involved in the incident, our community, and the members of our police department," Chief Maria Sarasua said in a statement. "As police chief, I am committed to ensuring that all involved are treated with care and compassion while ensuring a full and thorough investigation into what occurred."

The woman killed has been identified as 50-year-old Michelle Arrais. Police said Arrais shot her 23-year-old son inside their apartment on the 2500 block of Francisco Boulevard on the morning of March 27.

The victim told authorities that he was awakened by the sound of gunshots in the apartment. His mother then opened his bedroom door and shot him twice.

After police arrived at the scene, two officers saw Arrais driving away from the apartment complex.

Video from the officers' cameras shows the woman pointing a handgun at them as she attempted to leave in her SUV. The officers opened fire.

After the shooting, officers recovered a loaded 9mm semiautomatic handgun from the woman. Four boxes of ammunition were also recovered from her purse, which was found on the passenger seat.

Despite efforts from paramedics, Arrais died at the scene.

The son was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. During a search of the apartment, police said they also found the family's dog dead from gunshot wounds. Investigators believe that Arrais killed the dog before shooting her son.

https://www.cbsnews.com/sanfrancisco/news/pacifica-fatal-police-shooting-woman-suspected-shooting-son-id-video-released-francisco-blvd/