California Cops Kill Suspect, Thought He was Armed
Southern California police shot and killed a man whom they believed to be carrying a gun. Police authorities issued a statement on Saturday stating that officers had responded to a call from a convenience store at a gas station in San Bernardino.
The police report said that a man was seen "waving around a handgun".
According to the statement, "patrol officers came to the scene and found a suspect that matched the description." The latter then was reportedly still carrying what the police believed to be a black handgun in one hand.
The statement also said a shooting incident involving one of the responding officers took place that struck the suspect and led to his injury.
The man, according to the police report, was brought to a hospital where he was declared dead. Authorities said that the suspect was a Hispanic. However, the initial report they obtained described the man as "white". He was not identified right away.
Photos and Videos Captured
A mobile phone from a passing vehicle and later on uploaded on YouTube captured authorities as they pointed their weapons at the man, "near a gas pump shouting for him to 'drop the gun!" As the video captured, the car circled a corner, and the camera capture has obstructed a burst of gunshots were heard.
Meanwhile, the police department posted on its Facebook page, some screenshots from videos captured at the scene of the incident.
One image also came from the body-worn camera of an officer showed "a man in shooting position" was pointing at a parked cruiser of the police.
It was unclear though if he was holding a gun, and officers did not say either if one was even recovered.
An Apparently Common Police Misconception
This is not the first time the police get involved in a shooting incident in California, believing their suspect is armed with a gun. Early this month, a 22-year-old man of color was yet another victim of police killing. He was reportedly unarmed when a cop shot him to death.
According to reports, young Latino man, Sean Monterrosa was kneeling on the ground when Vallejo officers fatally shot him one early Tuesday morning.
In relation to the incident, police chief Shawny Williams said the Latino was kneeling in front of an establishment he was allegedly looting when an officer shot him that caused his death.
Records presented that Moterrosa "was shot five times" from a vehicle's windshield. The chief of police said the cop who shot the young man was one of the many officers who arrived at the scene, specifically at a parking lot where there were around 12 people there.
Williams also stated that while in kneeling posture, Monterrosa was showing what appeared to be a gun's butt. However, later on, the investigations revealed it to be a long hammer of about 15 inches, tucked inside the pocket of the top he was wearing.
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