SDPD FACES CONTROVERSY: BODY CAMERAS OFF DURING FATAL SHOOTING

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By Liz Alper

October 22, 2015 (San Diego) - After Tuesday's shooting of an armed man in the Gaslamp Quarter, the two officers who shot the man are facing controversy for not activating their body cameras, Channel 10 reports.

The man fled Horton Plaza around 2:00 p.m. Tuesday afternoon when police tried to stop him after he made a disturbance and interfered with traffic, according to San Diego police.  

The man ran to Sixth Avenue, ignoring orders to stop, according to Captain David Nisleit.  When he arrived at F Street, the suspect pulled out a pistol and aimed it at police. It was at that point that the officers shot the man, who fell onto the street, then sat up and raised his weapon, goading police to shoot him again, witnesses and surveillance video confirmed.

He was taken to UCSD Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.  

The captain revealed that the officers did not activate their body cameras before or during the incident.  Officers are supposed to activate their body cams prior to all confrontations with citizens.  

It was not made clear why the officers--a 25-year and 30-year department veteran, respectively--did not follow this procedure.

The United Against Police Terror San Diego is planning to protest on Thursday and demands transparency from the department.

"There is no transparency with the body cam footage," Catherine Mendonca of UAPT told Channel 10. "Chief Zimmerman has never made any effort to provide any body cam footage." 

The suspect was wanted in Virginia for an armed robbery.  Virginia police warned that he should be considered armed and dangerous, but the officers did not know this at the time of the shooting.

 

 


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