Video, 911 Call Of Fatal St. Louis Officer-Involved Shooting Released
After the fatal yet another officer-involved shooting of a black man, St. Louis police released video footage of the incident. Chief Dotson released cell phone video Wednesday that showed police shooting 25-year-old Kajieme Powell, according to KMOV.
[su_center_ad]The suspect wasn’t 3 or 4 feet away as some previously believed. According to the video, he was even farther from the range of being an actual threat.
Chief Dotson said Powell stole two energy drinks from a nearby store. Dotson said after the suspect walked out of the store with the drinks, he went back inside the store and grabbed a pastry. According to Dotson, the owner of the store followed the suspect outside of the premises and police were then dispatched to the area.
Police say the suspect then pulled out a knife and was acting erratically when officers arrived.
According to what Dotson told reporters, the suspect told responding officers to “shoot me now, kill me now.”
Officers asked the suspect to drop the knife, which he was holding in an overhand grip, and the suspect refused to do. according to Dotson.
KMOV reports:
The witness who shot the video took it to a lawyer who then took it to the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department. Along with the cell phone video, police also made surveillance video from inside a nearby store, as well as 911 calls, available to the media.
Video shows Powell pacing back and forth on Riverview Boulevard around 12:20 Tuesday afternoon. Once police pull up, the man yells “shoot me! Shoot me!” Powell is heard saying.
Powell died after taking steps onto a retaining wall, after he turned his back toward an officer.
According to News 4, at least nine gunshots were counted in the video. Powell fell off the wall and onto a sidewalk, where he died.
“These officers felt they were in a lethal situation, that their lives were in jeopardy and I think we have to remember that these officers have a right at the end of the day to go home,” Chief Dotson said. “They have a right to protect themselves.”
Police said he was holding a steak knife, but it was difficult for others to see.
Why don’t police officers use tasers and/or stun guns when a suspect isn’t’ even within reach?
“The way that tasers operate; there are two probes that are fired. Both probes have to make contact with the individual and their skin in order for them to work,” Dotson said. “This individual had a jacket on. I’m not saying tasers are not an option, what I’m saying is tasers are not 100 percent.”
Watch courtesy of KMOV:
While the police department did release the video, the suspect is far from the point of being an actual threat if he did indeed, have a knife in his hand, which we can’t discern from the footage released.
H/T: My awesome buddy @TomCinmidlife with thanks.[su_sky_ad]
trees August 20th, 2014 at 11:09 pm
Maybe William can weigh in here and tell us how long, (duration of time), it takes an armed perpetrator to close distance. The officers have lethal weapons drawn, (guns), as they are the appropriate counter weapon to another lethal weapon, (knife). Police don’t approach potentially fatal encounters with the least amount of non-lethal force they can calculate. The important thing to remember here is this, the police are not obligated to make the odds “fair”, should you desire to menace the public with a show of armed aggression.
“Hey, that armed assailant is brandishing a knife, how should we respond?”
“I’m just going to try and get up close with some pepper spray, cover me”.
granpa.usthai August 20th, 2014 at 11:57 pm
menace the public with a show of armed aggression?
WHITE RACIST TERRORIST THUGS STOPPING INTERSTATE TRAFFIC WITH FIREARMS IS NO SHOW OF ARMED AGGRESSION?
thanks for yet another show of ‘proper behavior’ with Law Enforcement Officials, trees, don’t think it’ll take too much longer for Black Anglo Americans to catch on.
trees August 21st, 2014 at 12:36 am
“WHITE RACIST TERRORIST THUGS STOPPING INTERSTATE TRAFFIC WITH FIREARMS IS NO SHOW OF ARMED AGGRESSION?”
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I really have no idea what you’re talking about. If you’re talking about the State Police they are not an organization of “white racist terrorist thugs”, what they are is a law enforcement organization. Maybe the issue is that you don’t like laws?
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“don’t think it’ll take too much longer for Black Anglo Americans to catch on.”
Oh, let’s not speak in cryptic terms. What exactly is it that you’re saying here?
granpa.usthai August 21st, 2014 at 1:49 am
Life is a learning process, trees. If you see something that works, you go with it until something better comes along. WHITE RACIST TERRORIST THUGS in Nevada have shown America a much more effective way of ‘proper behavior’ THAT WORKS! (much better than what is going on in Ferguson, Missouri now).
China and other Asian nations that have been criticized for ‘human rights violations’ by the USA since forever are now taking notes and are no doubt in negotiations about providing Military Assistance to the races less favored by the 95% plus WHITE GOVERNMENT.
Since the UnderGovernor of Missouri has (not so innocently) made his ‘legal’ misinformation that “we do not do justice in America in the streets though” while ‘forgetting’ the successful lesson taught by WHITE RACIST TERRORIST THUGS in Nevada by using “legal” lawyering talk, WTH! – lets just Anglolize the entire population and go with what has been proven to be the MOST SUCCESSFUL methods of protest for ALL sides?
I got no problems with protesters matching Government forces gun for gun – it sure as hell keeps things nice and calm and all cozy and snuggly without anyone getting harmed at all. Even Officer ‘GO FUCK YOURSELF’ might be a lot less stressed out if protesters were aiming back with like weapons and just as ready to “fucking kill you too”-?-
worked in Nevada, ought to work in Missouri, seeing as how they’re both under the SAME FEDERAL SYSTEM? – only difference I can see is there’s not enough ‘Anglo Americans’ pouring into Ferguson, Missouri with military style weapons (yet) to peacefully quell the actions of over zealous Government Officials by locking, loading and sighting down. Should wind down in favor of the protesters -just like in Nevada -as soon as they do.
Justin Lynch August 21st, 2014 at 3:49 am
He’s talking about Bundy, you know, the millionaire that didn’t like Reagan’s law where farmers have to pay for federal land their cattle graze on, so he took a bunch of his buddies and holed up by the interstate. Sean Hannity and Bill Oreily called them national heroes for sticking to Obama.
fahvel August 21st, 2014 at 4:02 am
just sit back and wait. The evil perp will tire out.
Always Right August 21st, 2014 at 4:09 pm
You were there?
whatthe46 August 21st, 2014 at 6:20 pm
rubber bullets; long range mace; and taser comes to mind.