ORLANDO, Fla., Dec 8 (Reuters) - A Florida sheriff called for calm after a 28-year-old unarmed black man in a stolen car was shot and critically wounded early on Monday by a white officer, after witness reports that the man had his hands up and amid racially charged protests nationwide about police violence.
"I ask everyone to not rush to judgment and allow the investigation to be completed," Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings said at a news conference in Orlando.
Demings, who himself is African American and was surrounded by six religious leaders from the black community, said investigators have found some eyewitness accounts that conflict with that of the officer involved.
Witnesses at the apartment complex said that the men had their hands up when the deputy opened fire, according to local media reports.
Cities across the United States have seen major protests in recent days after grand juries declined to indict anyone in the deaths of two unarmed black men at the hands of white police officers in New York and Ferguson, Missouri.
After locating a stolen car at an apartment complex just after midnight on Monday, Sergeant Robert McCarthy fired three shots, one of which hit Cedric Bartee.
Demings said Bartee failed to comply with McCarthy's commands and "made extensive furtive movements," making the deputy fear for his safety.
Bartee underwent surgery and was in stable but critical condition late in the afternoon, the sheriff said. A second man in the car was arrested unhurt.
The shooting also comes only a few days after a 32-year-old Latino man was shot and killed in a car by an Orlando detective investigating a burglary. Police said the detective opened fire after he saw Alejandro Noel Cordero had a gun.
On Monday Demings said he was trying to be transparent in holding the press conference "because of the backdrop of everything happening in the country at this time."
He added: "It's concerning to me" how the public might react.
Of course the article goes on to describe how the victim has had numerous run ins with the law and all of that there, none of which matters in this particular incident.
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forcing myself to actually respond to you is like bathing in ebola virus. - Binlahab
Like there is stupid, and then there is you, and then there is dead. - VAsBestBBW
PoppaGeorge Member since Nov 07th 2004 10384 posts
Sun Dec-14-14 06:04 PM
4. "Being real, I almost didn't expect a lot of responses. " In response to Reply # 1
Part of me was thinkin OKPs would be like "again???" and just K.I.M... The other part was thinking there would be a least a lil outrage and a discussion would follow.
The first part of me was right. We're becoming desensitized to it.
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forcing myself to actually respond to you is like bathing in ebola virus. - Binlahab
Like there is stupid, and then there is you, and then there is dead. - VAsBestBBW
6. "I'll be outraged when the victim wasn't committing a crime " In response to Reply # 4 Sun Dec-14-14 11:07 PM by godleeluv
It sounds like this guy committed a crime and decided later to put his hands up. He didn't deserve to be shot, thank God he didn't die, but if he wouldn't have stolen the car he wouldn't have been shot. The last case where I felt the victim did absolytely nothing wrong was trayvon, and I hated what Zimmerman did and enjoy watching him publicly fall apart for his sin. ♥♥Church Diva♥♥
8. "Discretion is the better part of valor." In response to Reply # 7
Meaning power is only as good as it's judgment. No one respects a man who abuses women, children and animals. Why? It is an abuse of power. How is it any different for an armed man to assail the unarmed? Why let them off the hook?
Nobody asks what janay rice said or did to get punched in that elevator. It's irrelevant. It was an abuse of power.
There are steps in place to defuse conflict and bring in suspects alive and unharmed so they can face trials. That's how it works for other people. It should be the same for us.
sixteenstone Member since Sep 22nd 2002 27996 posts
Sun Dec-14-14 07:56 PM
5. "hell remember on the tv show Cops they used to chase suspects" In response to Reply # 3
officers would run damn near a mile, but they didn't shoot anyone. they would get into lots of physical fights, but a gun was only a last option once their immediate life was in danger.
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