Another fatal police shooting from last month is getting attention, and the police department involved released body camera video footage from the incident Wednesday, the Fresno Bee reports.
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“We have a great deal of community unrest in our city as well as other cities and in many respects we are a spark away from a forest fire in our communities in America”, Police Chief Jerry Dryer said.
In the video, officers can be seen pointing guns at Noble, who has pulled his truck over at a gas station.
Police Chief Jerry Dyer has released officers’ body-camera video that shows Noble defying repeated shouts from officers to show his hands, or be shot.
Although Noble was unarmed when he exited his vehicle, he also repeatedly ignored orders from the police to stop advancing toward them, get to the ground and show his hands.
Despite demands that he show both hands and that he would be shot, a 19-year-old California man kept a hand behind his back and walked toward police.
Was deadly force, in particular the final two shots – taken by two different officers – necessary? Two more shots were fired after Noble was on the ground, still appearing to be reaching for an object – which turned out to be a small plastic box. The officers are heard in the background saying that Noble was again reaching for his waistband, which prompted yet another shot, fatally wounding Noble.
The video’s release comes just a week after cell phone video of the officer-involved shooting was released by a law firm representing Noble’s family. Those shootings last week sparked protests around the country. It remains to be seen whether this video will spark even more.
Dyer said that he chose to release what he called “extremely disturbing” footage in an effort to answer questions raised by the release last week of a bystanders’ cellphone video that shows the last two shots fired.
Since Fresno Police officers shot and killed 19-year-old Dylan Noble.
“Tensions are high”, Dyer said. And now that it’s occurring in white communities, maybe some will stop doubting the use of excessive, deadly, force by police.
“They were telling a young boy, who may have been under the influence of some alcohol, to do a bunch of commands for a routine traffic stop”, he said, according to The Washington Post.
The incident is being investigated internally as well as by the local district attorney, and federal authorities have also agreed to investigate, The Los Angeles Times reports.
“I do not have the answer for that today”, he said at a press conference Wednesday, when asked if he thought the shooting was justified.
“People are going to question Dylan’s conduct of why he did certain things”, Paboojian said. “The officers never gave Dylan an explanation or a chance to speak”. Then he warns Noble he’s going to get shot. He represents Noble’s mother, Veronica Noble.
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Dylan’s family were shown the video privately last week but police had initially refused to release it to the public until their investigation is complete.
