According to the presser today, and earlier reports, the officer turned around and was going to drive past them again, because he thought they looked suspicious. Before he could say anything to them, they bolted and ran.
When they ran, all in different directions, ONE of them was holding his waistband, and the officer thought it looked like a gun, so he chose to chase that runner. It was HIS OBLIGATION as an officer, to chase him once he saw that he was possibly armed and was fleeing.
One of the press asked a follow up, and said ,lots of young men have to hold their pants up when they run, so are you going to chase down every one of them that hold their waistbands?
The spokesman replied that officers can usally tell the difference between someone holding up their pants and hiding a gun, but he added that VM was well known to the local officers, and that might have added to his knowledge. Then she jumped on that, and asked something [ couldnt hear her well] like ' did the officer specifically stop Vonderritt cuz he knew him?' and the officer backpedaled and said absolutely not.
But anyway, it seems to me, from reading between the lines, since VM has some serious priors, and the latest included a high speed car chase, and weapons, that the officer was familiar with the three teens walking that night. And when they took off running he probably knew they were armed or holding drugs, or there'd be no reason to run. jmo
