Arizona Police Shoot and Kill Mentally Ill Woman Wielding a Hammer
Tuesday, August 19, 2014 Posted by For Harriet
A police officer shot and killed 50-year-old Michelle Cusseaux at her apartment while responding to a mental health call.
Cusseax suffered from serious mental illness including schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, and her mother, Frances Garrett, asked Southwest Behavioral Health Services to place her daughter in an in-patient facility for fear that Michelle might have been a threat to herself or others.
When police arrived, Cusseaux was holding a hammer in a manner police deemed threatening. That encounter ended with police shooting and killing the woman.
At a rally held for her daughter, Garrett explained, "I can't believe this. I'm asking for help for my daughter, who has a mental issue, and ... the help ended her life. That's hard to believe."
Garret is requesting a mayoral review of her daughter's case and better police training on how to deal with those who have mental illness.
The wife of the African American man whose death has triggered days of unrest in Charlotte, North Carolina, has released video footage of the moments before and after her husband was shot by police.
Key points:
* Police say Keith Scott was armed, but family disputes that * His wife has released video of moments before and after shooting * Police argue releasing video might interfere with investigations * State of emergency declared in Charlotte
Mr Scott's death on Tuesday (local time) was the latest in a seemingly steady string of police involved killings of black men that have fuelled outrage across America.
The smartphone footage, filmed by Mr Scott's wife Rakeyia and released by her lawyers to The New York Times and NBC News, will add to mounting pressure on Charlotte authorities to make the video public
The two-minute, 16-second clip does not show the shooting itself, but captures the moments leading up to it, as Mr Scott's wife pleads with officers not to open fire.
"Don't shoot him. Don't shoot him, he has no weapon. He has no weapon. Don't shoot him," she is heard saying as the footage begins.
"He has a TBI, he's not going to do anything to you guys," she says, referring to a traumatic brain injury.
Several neighbours have told AFP Mr Scott, 43, was disabled, and had a stutter among other issues.
As Mr Scott's wife records, police are heard yelling: "Drop the gun! Drop the gun!"
"Don't let them break the windows. Come on out the car," she asks her husband.
"Keith. Don't do it. Keith get out the car," she says.
"Keith. Don't you do it," she adds, a moment before the sound of four quick gunshots, at which point the phone is pointed away from the shooting.
Photo: Keith Scott's family has called on police in Charlotte to publicly release the videos. (Reuters: Jason Miczek)
Moments later, Mr Scott is seen lying face down on the asphalt surrounded by officers.
"Did you shoot him? Did you shoot him?" Ms Scott screams.
Mr Scott at this point is seen lying motionless on the ground.
"I'm not coming near you, I'm going to record you," his wife says.
"These are the police officers that shot my husband, and he better live. He better live, because he didn't do nothing to them."
The victim's family, along with many in Charlotte, dispute the police assertion that Mr Scott was armed with a handgun. His family says he was holding a book.
No gun is visible in the video, which shows Mr Scott stepping backward when he was shot, one of the family lawyers said.
"His hands are down by his side. He is acting calm," Justin Bamberg said.
"You do see something in his hand, but it's impossible to make out from the video what it is."
Charlotte Police Chief, Kerr Putney, has said a handgun was recovered at the scene, and that no book was found, contradicting the family's assertion.
Photo: Charlotte Police Chief Kerr Putney addresses a press conference. (AFP:Nicholas Kamm)
He said the video footage does not provide "absolute definitive visual evidence that would confirm that a person is pointing a gun," but he stressed that the footage indicates the officer was justified in shooting Mr Scott.
"The officer perceived his failure to comply with commands, failure to drop the weapon and facing the officers as an imminent threat," Mr Putney said.
Protesters defied a curfew overnight, marching through the streets amid a heavy presence of police, National Guard troops and highway police officers.
The case has touched the US presidential race, with Democrat Hillary Clinton planning to visit Charlotte on Sunday, her campaign said.
Mrs Clinton earlier weighed in about the video issue, tweeting that police should release its footage "without delay".
But Mr Putney said releasing video of the incident could make the situation worse.
"If I were to put it out indiscriminately and it doesn't give you good context, it can inflame the situation and make it even worse," he said.
"It will exacerbate the backlash. It will increase the distrust.
"I know the expectation that video footage can be the panacea, and I can tell you that is not quite the case."
Charlotte's handling of the case stands in stark contrast to a similar police shooting last Friday involving an African-American man in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
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