Footage of Black Man Shot by Police in an Unmarked Car Sparks Outrage
After a video went viral that showed the killing of a black 23 year old man on Saturday in San Bernardino California by police officers in an unmarked car, viewers are left wondering what exactly happened. Fatima El-Zein brings you the latest headline. A video has surfaced online showing the killing of a black 23 year old man on Saturday July 16th at around 8 p.m. in San Bernardino California by police officers in an unmarked car. With TMJ News Network, I’m Fatima El-Zein and you’re watching TMJ’s Newscast. Robert Adams, the victim, is said to have been shot 9 times in the back as he attempts to run away from the officers when they get out of the unmarked vehicle. It remains unclear whether Robert Adams, the 23 year old victim, was in fact armed. A news release from the San Bernadino Police Department alleges that the officers were responding to a call about an armed man in the parking lot and were wearing official police uniforms when they say they gave Adams verbal commands. Adams’ father says to a local news outlet that his son was armed and protecting himself from violent robberies frequently happening in the area. The video, which was shared by online activists like Shaun King, shows a harrowing scene when the unmarked vehicle pulls up into the parking lot, Adams approaching it and then running away towards two cars when he is shot and killed. King called this a “brutal execution” and said in a recent post “Robert had NO IDEA who they were and in an instant they jumped out and murdered him.” This comes shortly after the killing of Jayland Walker last month in Ohio, a 25 year old Black man who was shot dozens of times with 26 bullets recovered from his body, an autopsy revealed. Five of the bullets were recovered from his back, suggesting he was running away, similar to Robert Adams. Jayland Walker was unarmed, with no drugs or alcohol in his system and was only pulled over for equipment violations when a chase began. Widespread calls for police reform have swept through the nation after the viral video of George Floyd’s killing and court proceedings. The United States far surpasses most wealthy democracies in killings of civilians by police. According to Campaign Zero’s Mapping Police Violence tracker, the US police have killed 8,767 people between 2013 and 2020. In comparison, Canada’s numbers for that time were 254 people killed. The US justification for these killings is the country’s high rate of civilian gun ownership, with more than 120 weapons per every 100 residents. The most problematic of these cases however is that whereas most countries rely on independent oversight bodies that have nationwide jurisdiction, U.S. law primarily allows police departments to investigate shootings and police misconduct themselves. With the new Miranda rights limitations in place by the US Supreme Court, the question that now arises is how much more immunity has been granted to the U.S. police services.
Written by ZainabRights, Anchored and Produced by Fatima El-Zein
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