Fresno, Calif., police Chief Jerry Dyer released graphic body-camera video footage of the fatal shooting of Dylan Noble, a 19-year-old who was unarmed but didn’t follow police officer orders to raise both hands.
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New footage shows police in California killing an unarmed teenager during a traffic stop, shooting two bullets when he was already lying on the ground. But he said he wanted to release the video so the public could see a more complete picture of what the officers saw as they confronted Noble and had to make decisions in mere seconds. Sterling, like Noble, refused to comply with police instructions, which led to officers getting into a wrestling match with him and ultimately using deadly force. “I do not have the answer to that today”, Fresno Police Chief Jerry Dyer told reporters Wednesday. Noble eventually gets out of the vehicle and begins pacing back and forth in front of the police officers.
In releasing the video Wednesday evening, Dyer called the footage “extremely disturbing” to watch, but said he hoped it would help clarify the circumstances at the time of the incident and why police opened fire. He is shot twice, and officers continue yelling at him not to move his arms or they would shoot again.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the USA attorney general’s office have agreed to investigate the shooting, according to the Los Angeles Times.
At one point, Noble can be heard saying that he hates his life.
Dyer said the officers gave 30 commands during that two minutes. At that point, an officer shoots him twice. He seems to reach behind his back, and officers tell him he will be shot if he doesn’t stop walking, drop what he’s holding, and get on the ground: “If you come forward, you’re gonna get shot, man”.
Then, after 15 seconds, another officer walked up to Noble with a shotgun and finished him off, according to the claim,
“I, too, have questions about the last two rounds fired”, Dyer said, and whether they were “absolutely necessary or were there other options”.
The body camera footage can be seen here.
“Dude! Do not reach again please, OK?”
One of the cornerstones of the Black Lives Matter movement is that police are more likely to use deadly force in confrontations with African Americans than white people.
The graphic video was shown last week to Noble’s family. The Noble family believes the teenager was “murdered”, and is suing the city.
An internal investigation into the incident is on-going and will determine whether the shooting was within the law and department policy.
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While most comments will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive, moderating decisions are subjective. “They’re just trigger-happy.” Noble’s parents have since brought a lawsuit against the city of Fresno.
