Police Bodycam Video Captures Chaotic Scene Where Teen Attempts to Drive Away with Officer in Vehicle
U.S. Park Police in Washington, D.C., have released a video showing an incident last month in which an officer shot and killed a 17-year-old black male.
The March 18 incident that led to the death of Dalaneo Martin began when police responded to a call of a vehicle that was running.
“Upon arrival, an officer located a vehicle that was occupied and running. The officer observed the occupant of the vehicle was asleep and the ignition was punched. The officer determined the vehicle was stolen and then called for additional units over the radio. Additional MPD officers and two U.S. Park Police officers arrived on scene to assist,” according to a Metropolitan Police Department statement.
The video released by the park police showed bodycam footage of Metropolitan police and Park police discussing how best to remove Martin from the vehicle.
WARNING: The following video contains graphic violence that some viewers may find disturbing.
Police discussed cutting through the plastic covering one window and attempting to then arrest the driver.
“Once you break it, he’s gonna wake up, start it and put it in drive to go. We don’t want nobody to get hurt,” one officer is heard saying as officers discussed possible options.
The Metropolitan police statement said police entered the car at about 9:30 a.m.
The video shows chaos ensuing. Police tried to grab Martin as at least one officer called out, “Police! Don’t move!”
The video showed a struggle that takes place in the vehicle. One park police officer remained inside the vehicle while a second fell into the street as the car sped away from the curb.
Martin has his hands on the wheel as the officer in the back demanded that he stop.
“Get off of me!” Martin yelled.
“Stop, man, just let me out. Let me go,” the officer said.
As Martin keeps driving, the officer, with his gun drawn, yelled, “Stop! Stop or I’ll shoot!”
The gun fired, and Martin appears hit in the back. The vehicle then crashed.
A firearm was later found in the vehicle, the Park Police said in a statement.
“They treated him as a criminal before there was any case, any trial, any testimony from him or anything, right? He can’t tell you what happened. He can’t tell you anything you probably would like to know that day because you killed him,” Jade Mathis, the family’s attorney, said, according to ABC.
“He was sleeping; It is not illegal or is not criminal to sleep in a vehicle,” Mathis said.
Martin’s mother, Terra, said, “The officer that shot my son — executed him. I want him locked up. I want him away from his family.”
The FBI and U.S. Attorney’s Office have opened a civil rights investigation into the case, according to CNN.
“The loss of a life is always tragic but is especially heartbreaking when it involves a child,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office said in a statement, calling the video “extremely upsetting.”
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