On Tuesday, two officers from the St. Louis Metropolitan Police shot and killed 25-year-old Kajieme Powell, less than four miles from where police shot and killed 18-year-old Michael Brown not quite two weeks ago. Powell was suspected of shoplifting. On Wednesday, the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department released video—cell phone footage recorded by an eyewitness—of the fatal encounter.
Powell approached them, shouting, "Shoot me! Shoot me, already!" As Powell continued to approach them, the officers shot and killed him.
Fewer than 20 seconds elapsed from the time police arrived on the scene to the time they shot Powell. The two officers fired 12 shots at Powell, according to police chief Sam Dotson.
Powell allegedly took two energy drinks and donuts from a convenience store, the owner of the store told a 911 dispatcher.
Powell's death marks the second time in less than two weeks that police in the St. Louis metropolitan area have shot and killed a young black man suspected of a minor crime.
Protestors marched for the tenth night in a row Tuesday evening in response to the shooting of Michael Brown, who was gunned down by police officer Darren Wilson of the Ferguson police department. Brown, an unarmed 18-year-old black man, was killed following an altercation after Wilson approached him for jaywalking, police said.
Some eyewitnesses described Tuesday night as the calmest yet in Ferguson since Brown was shot on August 9.
No comments:
Post a Comment