Sadly, there are so many shootings of unarmed Black men that a lot of them fly under the media’s radar. The death of Darren Williams from Chester, Pennsylvania, which is right outside of Philadelphia, may not be a readily recognizable police shooting, but that could be because cops are saying he shot himself.
According to CBS, Williams, 34, was shot around 10:40 a.m. by police on June 28. The cops claimed he grabbed an officer’s gun and shot himself in a courthouse parking lot. Delaware County District Attorney Katayoun “Kat” Copeland said the incident happened after Williams was arraigned. Following the hearing, according to Copeland, a local police officer and constable returned to the cell to get Williams, who allegedly shoved the door open and pushed past them.
The police claim Williams was at court because he was arrested the night before for DUI and driving recklessly at a high rate of speed. CBS also reported that “The DA added that Williams stole his girlfriend’s vehicle and threatened to kill her.”
One eyewitness said Williams was restrained when he was shot.
“The officers, when they ran up to him, the white officer was closed-fist punching the Black guy,” Amanda Norton said. “They finally restrained him to the ground, tased him twice with the stun gun. They had him on his stomach side and they said that the gentleman tried to reach for the gun. I saw the whole thing. How could he reach for the gun when he’s restrained and he can’t move? He did not try to reach for the gun and the other sheriff shot him twice in the back. It’s wrong, black lives matter and what happened right now with these cops was uncalled for.”
Copeland denied the eyewitness account.
NAACP Statewide President Richard Smith expressed his doubt at the time of the shooting.
“The cops always say they grabbed the gun or they try to get away or they have it or this and that, and when the story really comes out it’s different,” Smith said.
Williams’ cousin called into “The Clay Cane Show” on SiriusXM Urban View channel 126 on Friday to help the story get more media attention.
“They’re [police] trying to bury the story,” Linda Williams told Cane. “It’s horrible… they tased him, they beat him the night before.”
She denied accusations that her cousin grabbed the officer’s gun.
“That’s a lie. They said that he shot himself in the stomach,” Linda Williams said. “That’s one of the bullets that came from the back that came out of his stomach.”
Listen to the clip below:
CBS reported there was surveillance video of the altercation and there have been calls for that video to be released, which had not immediately happened.
SEE ALSO:
WTH? ‘Black Panther’ Writer Roxane Gay Was Not Invited To The Movie Premiere
White Woman Accused Of Pretending To Be A Doctor In Africa Is Sued After ‘100 Babies’ Die
Everything To Know About The Phoenix Police Department’s Culture Of Racism And Corruption
