It’s not unusual, in the U.S., for cops to fire on someone who has shot themselves and has a gun nearby, even if they are lying in bed. But the Wallingford, Connecticut officers who killed Donald Passmore, 62, now have to explain bodycam footage that shows Passmore never reached for it and that they directed flashlights at his face. As a result, the Asssociated Press reports, “questions linger” about their shooting him when he raised an empty hand.
The videos show Passmore telling officers Gordon McCaskill and Robert Bellucci to put their flashlights down and the officers yelling “Do not touch the gun,” “Get your right hand up now” and “Keep your … hands where we can see them.”
Seconds later there is a burst of about 10 gunshots.
The state inspector general’s office said in a preliminary report that Passmore’s revolver was found on the bed, but neither officer’s video shows it. The videos also do not show the movement of Passmore’s right arm. There was nothing in his left hand.
A common tragic element: his sister had called 911 hoping for medical help. Instead, police came, screamed abuse at him, then killed him. The bodycam footage is on YouTube.
