Shocking moment officer fatally shoots armed black man in the back
Shocking moment officer fatally shoots armed black man in the back as he flees his Chevy sedan after a traffic stop is revealed in bodycam footage released by police
- The officer fired two shots, striking Gary Harrell and bringing him to the ground
This is the horrifying moment an Indiana police officer shoots dead a Black man – firing two rounds of bullets into his back immediately after he tried to run off from a traffic stop.
The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department released narrated body camera footage of the shocking incident on Tuesday, showing the armed cop fatally killing Gary Dwayne Harrell.
Harrell, 49, died on August 3 following the shooting on the city’s northeast side.
The seven-minute video shows Harrell getting stopped in his black Chevy sedan by Officer Douglas Correll. Harrell is seen running directly away from Correll, who is heard shouting, ‘Stop it! Drop it!’ Footage showed Harrell had a gun in his hand, but at no point is directly seen aiming it at the officer.
A second later, with Harrell continuing to run away from Correll, the officer fired two shots, striking Harrell once and bringing him to the ground.
Harrell is seen running directly away from Correll, who is heard shouting, ‘Stop it! Drop it!’
With Harrell continuing to run away from Correll, the officer fired two shots, striking Harrell once and bringing him to the ground.
The video showed Harrell dropping the firearm and falling onto grass. It never clearly showed Harrell pointing the gun at the officer, and narration provided on the video does not indicate that he did.
A .357 revolver was retrieved from a driveway and carried five live rounds, police said in the video.
Police provided aid to Harrell until medics arrived, but he was pronounced dead at a hospital.
The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department said in a statement released the day after the shooting that Correll was exiting his patrol vehicle when Harrell got out of his car ‘and began verbally engaging with the officer.’
‘The driver then went back to the driver’s seat of his vehicle disregarding the officer’s verbal commands,’ then ran from his vehicle with a gun in his hand, the police department’s statement said.
‘I am asking for the public’s patience and trust as we investigate this thoroughly. My prayers remain with all involved,’ Taylor said.
The shooting is under investigation by the department’s Critical Incident Response Team, and a separate internal affairs investigation has begun.
Indianapolis Police Chief Randal Taylor said a ‘thorough and complete’ investigation should be done before the public make conclusions about the footage.
The seven-minute video shows Harrell getting stopped in his black Chevy sedan by Officer Douglas Correll
Footage showed Harrell reached for a gun fiddling about with his phone, but at no point is directly seen aiming it at the officer
Harrell is seen running away, moments before Correll fires two shots
The video showed Harrell dropping the firearm and falling onto grass
The Black Church Coalition of Indianapolis has called for an independent investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice into Harrell’s death.
‘It is clear from the bodycam footage that the officer broke the training policy,’ Pastor Peris Lester of Phillips Temple CME Church said, reported by USA Today.
‘Why is he still being paid? Why is the taking of a human life not a concern of the chief of police in Indianapolis?’
The Concerned Clergy of Indianapolis have since called on police chief Randal Taylor to resign following the death, citing a culture lacking accountability.
Marion County Coroner’s Office ruled Harrell’s death a homicide and ruled the cause as being due to a ‘gunshot wound of chest’.
The full seven-minute narrated video first shows a map where Correll conducted the traffic investigation stop at North River Park earlier this month.
Harrell is seen laying stricken on the floor after Officer Correll fires two shots at him
Police provided aid to Harrell until medics arrived, but he was pronounced dead at a hospital
Correll is seen stopping the black Chevy sedan driven by Harrell, which police said was due to reckless driving.
Harrell is seen out of the sedan before Correll. The officer then walks up to Harrell and the two have a brief interaction.
‘What are you doing?’ Correll is heard asking.
Harrell responds that he was trying to swerve hitting something with his car.
Correll asks Harrell for his drivers licence, and he responds by stating he ‘just got home from prison.’
Harrell then gets in his car and Correll tells him not to.
He then gets out of the car, appearing to hold a hand gun in his right hand and a cell phone in his left hand.
Harrell tried to run off but was gunned down.
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