Saturday, August 8, 2015

US:Police Gun Down Unarmed Black Teenager As Tensions Rise On Eve Of Ferguson Shooting Anniversary

Police have shot and killed another unarmed black teenager after he got into an "altercation" with a white officer in training just a day before the first anniversary of Michael Brown's death.Christian Taylor was killed after crashing a sports vehicle through the glass doors of a car dealership and getting into a 'struggle' with a white officer in trainingThe 19 - year - old was shot at around 1am.At first police thought keen footballer player Taylor was a burglary suspect but a struggle with officers followed and the college student was shot.
He died at the scene, the medical examiner's office confirmed.Taylor's death comes just a day before the one-year anniversary of Brown's death.The killing sparked the Ferguson Riots – demonstrations and civil unrest across the United States.The Arlington Police Department, of Texas, said they have no video of the incident because it has not yet put in place a pilot programme in which officers wear body cameras, a police spokesman told USA Today.
Police were responding to reports of a sport-utility car being driven into the front of Classic Buick GMC at around 1am this morning and initially treated Taylor as a burglary suspect.approached the teenager, who had just finished high school in Arlington, an "altercation" followed and a white officer in training shot the student.A spokesman said other officers could also have shot at Taylor.
It is not yet known whether the victim had been drinking before crashing the car.Officer Brad Miller, 49, under supervised field training at the time of the killing, has been identified as one of the shooters.He joined the department in September and graduated from its police academy in March.Sergeant Paul Rodriguez said: "The preservation of life and safety is our highest priority. The Arlington Police Department is saddened by this loss of life and will provide the community a clear and transparent investigation."