TX - Officer fatally shoots unarmed man - San Antonio

[Woodland]

Here is a list of things that don't add up for me in this story from SAPD -

- undercover cops were following or spotted AS (have seen both versions in reports so far) to serve a warrant for felony possession of a firearm (and drugs it seems) and a lone officer is sent to confront AS. Doesn't that put the officer at risk? This was the plan?

- it is not clear if the officer was making a traffic like stop or just pulled up to AS's vehicle. IE was the presence of LE made clear to AS?

- either way on the type of stop by the officer, AS's vehicle was parked as AS got out of it. So why was the officers dash-cam not directed at AS's vehicle?

- the undercover LE calling for a uniformed officer to approach AS is slightly off imo. How did the uniformed officer manage to pull up to AS when he was still in his vehicle?

- according to the Chief, AS spun around quickly and was shot once (off camera) as the officer felt in danger due to AS possibly having a gun in hand. Shot once? Just saying that's new (as opposed to having a whole clip emptied into AS). The officer already knew, or ought to have known that AS was wanted for felony gun possession.

This is not adding up for me.

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-texas-police-idUSKCN0VE2FX

 

[KaaBoom]

This I agree 100% with.

ACLU of Texas Statement on Fatal Shooting of Antronie Scott


February 6, 2016
HOUSTON — Today, San Antonio Police Chief William McManus confirmed that San Antonio Police Department Officer John Lee fatally shot an unarmed 36-year-old Antronie Scott in the course of an attempted arrest. After reviewing the audio footage, Chief McManus asserted that Officer Lee discharged his weapon “almost immediately” after ordering Scott to show his hands. Lee mistook Scott’s cell phone for a weapon.

The following may be attributed to Terri Burke, executive director for the ACLU of Texas:

“While we still don’t have all the details of Thursday night’s tragedy in San Antonio, what we do know is that Antronie Scott posed no threat to Officer Lee in the moments before his life was senselessly ended. Law enforcement agencies in Texas and across the country have some serious soul-searching to do. It’s not enough to insist on body cameras, training and a revision of use-of-force policies. What’s required is a sea change in a law enforcement culture that shoots first and asks questions later. The execution of unarmed men of color is a tragically routine trend in American policing that has absolutely got to stop.”

ACLU of Texas Statement on Fatal Shooting of Antronie Scott

 

[bluesneakers]

This I agree 100% with.



ACLU of Texas Statement on Fatal Shooting of Antronie Scott

Me too. It sums it up rather well.

What’s required is a sea change in a law enforcement culture that shoots first and asks questions later. The execution of unarmed men of color* is a tragically routine trend in American policing that has absolutely got to stop.”

*While this particular case involves the shooting of an unarmed black man, I think the execution of unarmed people of color and unarmed people with mental illnesses is a tragically routine trend.

 

[bluesneakers]

Here is a list of things that don't add up for me in this story from SAPD -

- undercover cops were following or spotted AS (have seen both versions in reports so far) to serve a warrant for felony possession of a firearm (and drugs it seems) and a lone officer is sent to confront AS. Doesn't that put the officer at risk? This was the plan?

- it is not clear if the officer was making a traffic like stop or just pulled up to AS's vehicle. IE was the presence of LE made clear to AS?

- either way on the type of stop by the officer, AS's vehicle was parked as AS got out of it. So why was the officers dash-cam not directed at AS's vehicle?

- the undercover LE calling for a uniformed officer to approach AS is slightly off imo. How did the uniformed officer manage to pull up to AS when he was still in his vehicle?

- according to the Chief, AS spun around quickly and was shot once (off camera) as the officer felt in danger due to AS possibly having a gun in hand. Shot once? Just saying that's new (as opposed to having a whole clip emptied into AS). The officer already knew, or ought to have known that AS was wanted for felony gun possession.

This is not adding up for me.

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-texas-police-idUSKCN0VE2FX

Me either. I have the same questions, and this one too:

- If the officer was so afraid of AS, why didn't he stay in his patrol car and use his bullhorn?

eta: I mean loudspeaker. He could have stayed in his car and delivered his orders from there.

 

[bwt42]

Me either. I have the same questions, and this one too:

- If the officer was so afraid of AS, why didn't he stay in his patrol car and use his bullhorn?

Do officers even have bullhorns or are they only in the movies?

 

[bluesneakers]

Do officers even have bullhorns or are they only in the movies?

Sorry. I meant loudspeaker.

 

[EllieBee]

What makes feel the worst about this thread, aside from yet another unarmed citizen gunned down rather than being allowed their turn in court, is the fact that I almost just skimmed by because I thought "Again? BO-ring!"

I may need a break. I just disgusted myself with my own lack of sensitivity.

 

[bluesneakers]

What makes feel the worst about this thread, aside from yet another unarmed citizen gunned down rather than being allowed their turn in court, is the fact that I almost just skimmed by because I thought "Again? BO-ring!"

I may need a break. I just disgusted myself with my own lack of sensitivity.

I'm having the opposite problem. I just get angrier and angrier each time. I hate how it happens so often I can't keep track and I can't always remember all their names.

 

[Tawny]

Doesn't matter. He was a criminal, he clearly deserved to be shot like a dog in the street.

 

[KaaBoom]

Do officers even have bullhorns or are they only in the movies?

Most police cars have public address systems. Unfortunately bullhorns are generally no longer issued to LEOs. That was a big problem in Colorado Springs with the Planned Parenthood attack. On the scanner traffic the police were having a hard time finding a bullhorn to communicate with victims held up inside the building. Pretty unbelievable considering the amount of equipment they had there.

 

[bluesneakers]

Attorney for ex-Mesa police officer Philip Brailsford seeks new hearing in Daniel Shaver shooting case

A new defense attorney is challenging a court ruling that had moved the case of a former Mesa police officer charged with murder in an unarmed man's death closer toward a trial.

Philip "Mitch" Brailsford, 25, is charged with second-degree murder in the death of 26-year-old Daniel Shaver

...

The May preliminary hearing was the first time evidence in the case had been presented. The charge against Brailsford had been filed in a direct complaint by the Maricopa County Attorney's Office in lieu of a determination of probable cause by a grand jury.
[snip]
Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Sam Myers affirmed the case would move ahead.

...

Susie Charbel, the prosecutor in the case, argued in a written response to Piccarreta's motion that the probable-cause review was not permissible because it would defy another judge's ruling in the same jurisdiction.

"Since both judges have identical jurisdictions, one cannot review the judgment of another," Charbel wrote.

She added that the court had sufficient evidence to find probable cause "and any additional information suggested by (Brailsford) would not have changed the result.

 

[bluesneakers]

edit: my goof. Sorry.

 

[ts51]

I'm confused (no surprise there), the thread starts with an incident in San Antonio but ends with a case in AZ...Is that right or did I miss something (completely possible).

 

[bluesneakers]

I'm confused (no surprise there), the thread starts with an incident in San Antonio but ends with a case in AZ...Is that right or did I miss something (completely possible).

Thank you for catching that. I must have had two tabs open and posted in the wrong thread. Apologies.