The police released video footage in response to calls for transparency over the shooting in New Haven by a Yale officer and a Hamden, Conn., officer.
The body cam footage, showing officers shooting at an unarmed couple near Yale University campus on April 16th, sparked protests on the streets of New Haven, Connecticut.
New York Times reports Stephanie Washington, 22, and her boyfriend Paul Witherspoon III, 21, were shot at by Hamden police officer Devin Eaton and Yale police officer Terrance Pollack as they sat unarmed in their car near Yale university’s campus in New Haven. Protesters believe the duo were targeted because they are black
Authorities believed that the vehicle that the couple was driving had been involved in an armed robbery of a newspaper delivery person at a local Hamden gas station around 4 am.
Surveillance footage, released on Tuesday last week shows the moment the responding officers jumped our of their SUV and fired multiple rounds at the couple – who were singing along a love song.
During the shooting, Washington was shot in the face and has since been hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries, according to university officials.
Witherspoon was left unharmed.
Facing protests and concerned about losing the community’s trust, Connecticut officials were unusually quick to release police body camera and surveillance videos, NBC News reports
Video from inside the couple’s vehicle shows that prior to the shooting, they had been enjoying each other’s company and were singing songs to each other. They had been singing ‘Nothing In This World’ by R&B singer Avant and Keke Wyatt.
The shooting has led to an outpouring of peaceful demonstrations along the streets from groups such as the Black Lives Matter movement and Yale University students, with protesters claiming the black couple were unfairly targeted.
Neither was armed, and both officers, who are both black, have been placed on leave while the shooting is investigated by the State Police and the state’s attorney’s office.
James Rovella, the commissioner of the state Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection, said in a news conference on Tuesday, last week that Witherspoon appeared to be complying with police orders in the video, but that one of his hands had not been visible
Connecticut Police Shoot At Unarmed Couple Singing In Car, Call It A Mistake After Injuring One In The Face
The police released video footage in response to calls for transparency over the shooting in New Haven by a Yale offic)
By Krushnaraj Hudad
April 28, 2019
The body cam footage, showing officers shooting at an unarmed couple near Yale University campus on April 16th, sparked protests on the streets of New Haven, Connecticut.
New York Times reports Stephanie Washington, 22, and her boyfriend Paul Witherspoon III, 21, were shot at by Hamden police officer Devin Eaton and Yale police officer Terrance Pollack as they sat unarmed in their car near Yale university’s campus in New Haven. Protesters believe the duo were targeted because they are black.
NOW: New Haven + Hamden community members & @Yale students marching to Hamden PD to protest shooting of #StephanieWashington and #PaulWitherspoonIII by Hamden PD and Yale PD. @yaledailynews
Authorities believed that the vehicle that the couple was driving had been involved in an armed robbery of a newspaper delivery person at a local Hamden gas station around 4 am.
Surveillance footage, released on Tuesday last week shows the moment the responding officers jumped our of their SUV and fired multiple rounds at the couple – who were singing along a love song.
Protests erupted for the fourth straight night Friday in New Haven, Connecticut, after police opened fire on a car near the Yale University campus, shooting and wounding a woman inside. nbcnews.to/2Zo6AUV
During the shooting, Washington was shot in the face and has since been hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries, according to university officials.
Witherspoon was left unharmed.
Facing protests and concerned about losing the community’s trust, Connecticut officials were unusually quick to release police body camera and surveillance videos, NBC News reports.
There has been a week of protests in Hamden after Stephanie Washington and Paul Witherspoon III were shot while sitting in their car singing along to music bit.ly/2Uz6SVo
Video from inside the couple’s vehicle shows that prior to the shooting, they had been enjoying each other’s company and were singing songs to each other. They had been singing ‘Nothing In This World’ by R&B singer Avant and Keke Wyatt.
The shooting has led to an outpouring of peaceful demonstrations along the streets from groups such as the Black Lives Matter movement and Yale University students, with protesters claiming the black couple were unfairly targeted.
Neither was armed, and both officers, who are both black, have been placed on leave while the shooting is investigated by the State Police and the state’s attorney’s office.
James Rovella, the commissioner of the state Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection, said in a news conference on Tuesday, last week that Witherspoon appeared to be complying with police orders in the video, but that one of his hands had not been visible.
Rovella said Officer Eaton fired 13 shots in the encounter, and the Yale officer, Terrance Pollock, fired three times, The Associated Press reported.
Protesters on Yale’s campus and in the neighboring community have demanded justice in a shooting they say is the latest example of police officers firing at unarmed black civilians without sufficient cause.
The World Community for Racial Justice & Equality. 