News ForageOn Saturday night, two undercover police officers shot and killed 16-year-old Kimani Gray. According to the police account, the officers approached Gray when he “adjusted his waistband in what the police describe as a suspicious manner.” When the police asked him to “show his hands,” they claim Gray turned around and pointed a gun at the officers, who fired 11 rounds. The weapon police say belonged to Gray was not fired.
Although there is no confirmed evidence of wrongdoing by the officers, whose names have not be released, several witnesses cast doubts on the official version of the incident:
1. Eyewitness says Gray was “running for his life” when he was shot dead. “‘He was running for his life, telling the cops, ‘Stop,’ said witness Camille Johnson. ‘They really are, seriously, walking around, shooting little kids.’” [Pix11,3/10/13]2. Eyewitness says Gray was adjusting his belt, not shooting his gun, when the shooting began. “Mr. Gray’s sister, Mahnefah Gray, 19, said that a witness to the shooting told her that her brother had been fixing his belt when he was shot.” [New York Times, 3/10/13]3. Eyewitness says, after he was shot, Gray said “please don’t let me die.” One of the officers responded “Stay down or, we’ll shoot you again.” [New York Times, 3/10/13]4. Friends says “Kimani had just returned from a baby shower, and was shot only minutes after he was dropped off on East 52nd Street.” [NY1, 3/10/13]5. Gray’s sister and others say he did not own a gun. “Mr. Gray’s sister, Mahnefah Gray, 19, said that a witness to the shooting told her that her brother had been fixing his belt when he was shot. She, among others who knew Mr. Gray, said they had never known him to have a gun.” Gray’s cousin, Malik Vernon, also “insisted he didn’t own a gun.” [New York Times, 3/10/13; New York Post, 3/11/13]
NY1 does quote an anonymous source saying Gray was “holding the gun for a friend.” The police were quick to note that Gray had “four prior arrests.”
http://www.newsforage.com/2013/03/undercover-cops-shoot-and-kill-16-year.html
It’s hard to know what happened here, and the confusion hinges upon the credibility of the anonymous source who claims “he was holding the gun for a friend”, and whether he happened to be holding that gun in the belt he was “fixing.”
No doubt that the cops responded in their usual “shoot first and ask questions later” fashion, but if this kid was reaching for a gun in his belt, I might have shot him too.
Given the well established propensity of police covering up crimes their fellow officers commit we MUST look at this with great suspicion. If the only version we get is the official; police position then you can be sure it gas been whitewashed. They have caused this situation be refusing to weed out the bad apples when they had the opportunity to. They are now ALL suspect of wrongdoing until they can PROVE otherwise.
It would have been hard for him to fire the gun at the cops as it was probably in the cops sock at the time the kid was shot.
“1. Eyewitness says Gray was “running for his life” when he was shot dead. “‘He was running for his life, telling the cops, ‘Stop,’ said witness Camille Johnson.”
2. Eyewitness says Gray was adjusting his belt, not shooting his gun, when the shooting began. “Mr. Gray’s sister, Mahnefah Gray, 19, said that a witness to the shooting told her that her brother had been fixing his belt when he was shot.”
It would appear we have two conflicting accounts of the event.
Someone’s lying.
Witness # 1 at least has a name.
Witness # 2 is just like those posters I can’t stand on the internet – anonymous. If you’re not afraid to tell the absolute truth, then there’s no reason NOT to have a recognizable posting name, (or, in this case, a recognizable witness name).
I would say that I’d definitely have to favor witness # 1’s testimony over witness # 2’s.