Protests Hit California; Portland Revolts for 85th Day

Black Man Shot Dead by 11 Rounds in Louisiana

Date: 22 August 2020 - 22:13

News ID: ۸۲۰۴۷

LAFAYETTE, Louisiana (Dispatches) -- A Black man, surrounded by about a half dozen Lafayette police officers, died after being shot Friday night after police tased him and then fired 11 rounds at a gas station.
Rickasha Montgomery, a witness who filmed a video of the police shooting of the suspect, said officers tased him, but he kept walking.
She saw about six officers with guns pulled out, she said. Officers yelled for the man to get on the ground, the 18-year-old Montgomery said. But when the man reached the door of the Shell gas station, officers shot him.
"When I heard the gunshots, I couldn’t hold my phone like I was first filming,” the Lafayette woman said. "I feel kind of scared about it. I’m traumatized. You’re so used to hearing about this, but I never thought I would experience it.”
Lafayette police asked Louisiana State Police to investigate the officer-involved shooting.
Authorities have not identified the man, but confirmed his death Saturday.
At least one officer fired their gun, interim Police Chief Scott Morgan said. The officers involved in the shooting have been placed on administrative leave with pay until an investigation is complete.
Montgomery’s video circulating on social media shows a Black man in a white t-shirt and dark pants being shot by at least one officer outside the Shell gas station.
The video, which has not been confirmed by authorities as footage from the Friday night shooting, shows several officers surrounding the man before firing 11 shots at him, after which the man fell to the ground and did not move.
This is the third time an on-duty Lafayette Police Department officer has shot a person in five weeks, and the fourth in 2020.
The incident came as the fatal shooting of an African-American sparked demonstrations against police violence in the U.S. city of Pasadena, California.
Anthony McClain, the 32-year-old father of three, was shot and killed during a traffic stop last week, with police claiming that the man had pulled a handgun while running from officers.
On Thursday, California police released the video of the shooting, prompting protests and community outrage.
In the footage, McClain can be seen fleeing on foot with what appears to be something shiny around his waistband which police claimed was a pistol.
After running a short distance with officers chasing him, McClain turned and looked at them over his right shoulder. Police said they feared he was turning back to shoot at them, and so the officer closest to McClain shot at him twice.

He was taken to a nearby hospital, where he died from his injuries.
Caree Harper, the McClain family’s attorney, rejected the officers’ claims and said what police saw on the video was a large metal belt buckle not a weapon.
The police department has so far refused to release the names of the law enforcement officers involved in the fatal encounter.
Since the deadly shooting on Saturday, protesters have gathered outside Pasadena’s municipality as well as the home of Pasadena Councilman Victor Gordo to demand the officers in McClain’s death be charged.
On one occasion, a crowd gathered at the scene of the incident and broke through police tape surrounding the site, with a man shouting and cursing at officers.
The outburst caused one officer to fire his stun gun into the man’s chest, dropping him to the ground. Police then discharged pepper spray at the angry crowd to force them to retreat.
In another development on Thursday, a police officer was fired in Gwinnett County, Atlanta, following an investigation into an incident that involved a white officer cursing at and using a Taser on a black woman during an arrest.
The video of the incident, which surfaced on a Twitter account and quickly went viral, was shared by more than 6,000 people within five hours.
An African-American is shown sitting on the ground after a Gwinnett County police officer used a Taser on her during an arrest on August 20, 2020.

Agents, Protesters Clash on 85th Day in Portland

Portland protesters clashed with federal officers late Thursday and early Friday outside a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement office, on the city’s 85th consecutive night of protests.
Demonstrators gathered Thursday night at Kenton Park, and at 7 p.m., began marching through city streets toward the boarded-up Portland Police Association headquarters, a common protest destination.
A woman in the back of a truck read names from a list of Black people fatally shot by Portland police, as the crowd replied, "Rest in power.”
Protesters walked through the city for several hours before ending the march at the park.
Also at 10 p.m., another group of people began gathering at an ICE building, which the night before had been declared the site of a riot. Just after 11 p.m., some began painting over a security camera at the entrance, spray-painting building windows and the building itself. By midnight, the officers had declared the situation an unlawful assembly, and police began using force to disperse the crowd.
Local media and social media reports showed spent tear gas canisters and footage of officers firing munitions. Three people were arrested.
Portland police issued a timeline of protests Thursday, which showed they had declared riots 17 times between May 29 and August 19.
Portland residents have held nightly protests since mid-May, when an interaction with Portland police left George Floyd dead. His name became a rallying cry for people protesting racism and police brutality, sparking demonstrations across the U.S. and world.