The release of the video coincided with a demonstration involving 100 students who took to the streets of San Francisco to protest police brutality.
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Five San Francisco police officers shot and killed 26-year-old Mario Woods on the afternoon of December 2 after he refused commands to drop an 8-inch knife he was carrying.
Suhr said at a news conference on Wednesday that police opened fire when it appeared Woods was raising the knife and approaching one of the officers. Burris and his colleagues said that that screen shot came after the first round was sacked, not before.
Burris announced at a news conference he filed a federal civil rights lawsuit on behalf of Mario Woods’ family.
Outrage over the use of excessive force by police, especially against black men, has led to protests in many states and the civil rights movement Black Lives Matter. “This is not going to go away”, said Shawn Richard, a Bayview activist who addressed a crowd of hundreds at a vigil for Woods last week.
At least four bystander videos of the shooting have been posted online.
Below is the third video from a different angle, obtained by Burris’s office from a “confidential source”.
“You should resign”, Burris said in a comment directed at Chief Suhr.
The attorneys showed a series of freeze frames from the video to illustrate their point.
“He did not drop [his] weapon”, said the San Francisco Police Chief, in a statement.
“This is an active and ongoing investigation”, Sgt. Michael Andraychak said. Burris said he is unaware if the San Francisco police have seen the new video. Attorney John Burris, representing the Woods family, has filed a federal civil rights and wrongful death lawsuit.
The latest on the shooting death of a man by police in San Francisco (all times local). Those officers are: Charles August, Nicholas Cuevas, Scott Phillips, Antonio Santos and Winson Seto.
Suhr said publicly that the department is deploying riot shields to officers after the shooting, and firing range protocols have changed to emphasize alternatives to deadly force.
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Warning: The video and the language in the video below are extremely graphic in nature. They tried entering City Hall, but deputies blocked them, so the students made their voices heard on the steps. “I’m scared because I have nephews and nieces that could be endangered too”, said Diana Rodriguez, a student at John O’Connell High School. They blocked traffic and interrupted cable vehicle service.
