The Place Where Ludington Talks
Shooting the Truth with St. Louis' Finest
It's hard to form a solid opinion on the Ferguson, Missouri shooting currently topping the news with so much contradictory material coming out, no solid video of what led to the shooting, and opportunists flooding the area in order to make their own profit and/or fame.
What is easier to form an opinion on is what is coming out from nearby St. Louis on Tuesday August 19. A couple of St. Louis officers shoot a black man menacing them with a knife only about four miles from where Michael Brown was shot. The officers tell a story that says the man was about 3 to 4 feet from them and holding the knife in an aggressive manner in an overhand grip. The video taken by a witness, tells a rather different story. Once again illustrating the fact that police officers are more than willing to lie about a sequence of events to save their bacon.
Does it make Police Officer Wilson's and the official account look more suspect in nearby Ferguson? It sure does, and when the police chief says such obvious falsehoods it undermines police forces everywhere. If you have to avoid the truth in your report, you must believe that you failed in your duties and your protocols.
The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department released cell phone fo... Wednesday of the police shooting of Kajieme Powell, a 25-year-old black man killed on Tuesday in St. Louis, according to St. Louis Public Radio.
A convenience store owner called 911 on Tuesday when he suspected Powell stole drinks and donuts from his shop, according to a recording of the call. Another woman called to report Powell was acting erratically and had a knife in his pocket.
Two officers in a police SUV responded to the calls, the cell phone video shows. When the officers got out of their vehicle, Powell walked in their direction, yelling and telling them to shoot him already.
St. Louis Police Chief Sam Dotson said Tuesday that both of the officers opened fire on Powell when he came within a three or four feet of them holding a knife "in an overhand grip."
But the newly released cell phone footage undermines the statement, showing Powell approaching the cops, but not coming as close as was reported, with his hands at his side. The officers began shooting within 15 seconds of their arrival, hitting Powell with a barrage of bullets.
The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department released the video and 911 calls, telling St. Louis Public Radio that it plans to act transparently.
The shooting death occurred less than four miles from where Michael Brown was fatally shot by a police officer in the suburb of Ferguson on Aug. 9.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/20/kajieme-powell-shooting_n_...
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