To shed light on the incident in the aftermath of the tragic shooting of 18-year-old Amari Malone in Fort Worth, Texas, the local police department swiftly released body camera footage.
The community demanded a thorough investigation into the officers involved. As they were outraged that another young Black man was being killed by law enforcement in their area, Amari’s brother, Juvi Malone, insists that the perpetual cycle of young people being taken from their community must come to an end and that justice is necessary.
“A young black kid getting his act together,” said Juvi Malone, the suspect’s brother, on why police didn’t need to shoot him. “Eventually, stuff like this has got to stop … It’s just like an ongoing thing, like over and over and over. They keep pulling young people from out of the community. We want justice.”
The family has then enlisted the expertise of esteemed civil rights attorney Lee Merritt, who is determined to hold the Fort Worth Police Department accountable for their actions.
Noting that the department’s quick response was due to the pressure placed upon them, Merritt expressed gratitude for the public’s support in demanding the release of the body cam footage. He said, “The crime that needs to be investigated right now is the the murder of an 18-year-old in Fort Worth.”
Meritt questioned the time it took for Amari to receive medical attention and suggested that timely treatment could have potentially saved his life.
Merritt acknowledged that the video evidence revealed Malone was carrying a firearm but stated that it was for self-defense, a common practice in Texas. He added that the family will scrutinize the officers’ claims that Amari pointed the weapon at them during the pursuit. Merritt emphasized the importance of transparency and thorough review for every investigation.
Interim Police Chief Ed Kraus, in an attempt to quell the community’s anger, released the body camera footage from the shooting. The video shows Amari disregarding police orders and attempting to escape when confronted by armed officers. Kraus aimed to dispel rumors that Amari was unarmed or had merely witnessed a murder scene.
In the chaotic scene, four officers fired at Amari, who was shot in the back as he tried to evade the gunfire.
WATCH the video below for more details:
Sources: AWM, Star-telegram, lawenforcementtoday
And of course, te cops should have cut the poor fellow some slack and not shot him, nevermind that he had a gun and pointed it at them.
Never a good idea to show a firearm when police are in pursuit. Being shot in the back is not relevant.
An armed suspect has to be stopped to protect others in the area