Subscribe
NewsOne Featured Video
CLOSE

A North St. Louis County, Missouri, mother is demanding answers after a photo surfaced that shows a white police officer posing with her dead son, according to FOX 59 News.

 In August, Kim Staton’s son, 28-year-old Omar Rahman, was found dead from an accidental drug overdose, reports the news outlet. Staton says she hasn’t heard much from the authorities about her son’s death and was devastated when KMOV News released a leaked photo showing a North County Cooperative officer at the scene wearing gloves, holding onto her dead son’s arm giving a thumbs up. 

Staton stresses that there is no reasonable explanation as to why any officer would do something like that outside of being cruel and unprofessional.

[When] they come to a call, they’re supposed to be there to help and protect, not doing what he was doing with thumbs up and a smirk on his face,” she exclaimed. 

Staton’s attorney, Antonio Romanucci, echoes her sentiments.

It’s hideous. The implications of this photograph are just astronomical,” said Romanucci. I have seen thousands and thousands of forensic photographs, I have never seen a staged photograph of an officer next to a deceased body.”

Romanucci is urging that there to be a complete investigation that is done by an agency other than the Co-op.

Who was there that allowed this to go on? Was there any sergeant involved? Those are the questions that need to be asked and that’s what needs to be found here,” Romanucci said.

Meanwhile, the police told Stanton that they lost all of the pictures from that night since their police camera has gone missing.

North County Co-op Chief Tim Swope refused to speak with the KMOV News reporter who was sent the picture, telling her off-camera that he does not want to see the image, FOX 59 noted. But he says authorities are conducted an internal investigation of the incident. 

Former St. Louis Chief Dan Isom told KMOV News that he is baffled by Swope’s refusal to view the image. “See it, talk to the officer, get all the information relative to why they were there,” Isom told the news outlet.

For her part, Stanton just wants to know what happened on the night of his death.

That’s what I am looking for, I’m looking for some answers,” she said.

Yes, we would also like to know what is so humorous about the sight of a dead Black man.

SEE ALSO:

Alfred Olango’s Father Launches Police Reform Foundation

Activists Demand Answers After Police Shoot Unarmed Black Man In Front Of His Two Sons

 

Missouri Mom Demands Answers After Cop Poses With Dead Son  was originally published on hellobeautiful.com