NAACP: Cop Who Shot Armed Black Suspect Pointing Gun at Him Should Have ‘Asked Questions’ First

Anti-police activists are getting their wish fulfilled as more police departments are outfitting officers with body cameras that record sight and sound from the officers’ perspective.

So far the results of three recently released videos of police encounters that ended in fatal shootings show the dangers officers face on patrol.

Warning: Video shows deadly violence.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aCrQyUQCJS0#t=13

A video from Selma, Alabama shows a Black officer fatally shooting a Black man, Ananias Shaw, as he charged the officer while wielding an ax.

A second video from Arizona shows the fatal shooting of Flagstaff Officer Tyler Stewart who used the gentle technique demanded by cop-hating agitators. A white man suspected in a domestic violence call is seen talking face to face with Stewart, also white, who politely asked to search the man. The man whipped out a gun and shot Stewart dead.

The most recently released video is from Muskogee, Oklahoma and shows a white officer engaging a Black man named Terence Walker who was wanted for allegedly threatening to shoot his ex-girlfriend. Walker is in a church parking lot. His ex-girlfriend is reportedly inside the church attending a wedding. A 911 call that brought the officer to the scene was placed mere minutes before.

The officer politely talks to Walker. As he starts to handcuff Walker and search him for weapons Walker forces the officer’s hands off him and takes off running.

As Walker is running down a rural street, a handgun falls out of his clothing. Walker stops to pick up the gun from the road, pauses to handle it then points the gun at the officer for a split-second before starting to again run from the officer.

When the officer sees the gun pointed at him he opens fire, fatally dropping Walker as he ran a few steps. Walker falls into a ditch, his handgun by his side. The officer and another officer examine the gun and find that is cocked and loaded.

An Oklahoma TV station, KTUL, showed the police body camera video of the shooting to Tulsa NAACP chapter President Pleas Thompson.

(Thompson) feels the officer could have avoided shooting, since Terrance Walker was seen running away.

…”Police, as well as elected officials, have to be more sensitive that you know there is this mentality out there of shoot first and ask questions later and I think emphasis should be placed on trying to take those people alive,” he said.”

The video shows the officer politely trying to take Walker alive. Walker took off and subsequently pointed a gun at the officer within firing range with innocent bystanders also in range.

It’s a shame the NAACP is more interested in protecting armed Black criminals than they are about protecting law-abiding Black citizens and police.

Update: The man seen in the video trying to intervene after the shooting, Pastor A.H. Jones, gave an interview to Tulsa station KRJH-TV describing the incident. Jones would not condemn the officer for the shooting when asked if he thought it was justified:

“That’s a hard thing. The officer knew he had a weapon. When he turned toward the officer, no question the officer felt threatened. So each man has to make their own judgment.”

Jones witnessed the entire incident. Before police were called Jones was speaking to the girlfriend inside the church who told him about Walker’s threats and that he had recently bought a gun that he showed her saying he had a bullet with her name on it. Jones was then told Walker was outside the church so Jones went out to try to intervene. The police showed up shortly after that.

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Kristinn Taylor has contributed to The Gateway Pundit for over ten years. Mr. Taylor previously wrote for Breitbart, worked for Judicial Watch and was co-leader of the D.C. Chapter of FreeRepublic.com. He studied journalism in high school, visited the Newseum and once met David Brinkley.

You can email Kristinn Taylor here, and read more of Kristinn Taylor's articles here.

 

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