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Dalaneo Martin - Black Teen Killed By U.S. Park Police

Dalaneo Martin. | Source: GoFundMe

Amid an investigation into the police shooting of a Black teenage driver in Washington, D.C., new video footage from the incident shows the 17-year-old father was shot multiple times in the back from the backseat of a moving vehicle.

The U.S. Park Police claims its officers found Dalaneo Martin asleep in an idling stolen vehicle last month in the nation’s capital city. The newest video footage from the shooting shows officers quietly opening the vehicle’s doors and entering. That’s when officers identify themselves loudly, apparently startling Martin to the point he began to drive off with at least one officer in the back seat.

When an officer orders Martin to pull over and he did not immediately obey the commands, the cop opened fire directly behind the teenager and shot him in his back multiple times at an extremely close range.

TMZ published the graphic footage, which should be viewed with discretion.

According to reports, officers from Park Police and the Metropolitan Police were responding to a call on March 16 about a stolen vehicle. When officers arrived on the scene, they observed Martin asleep with the ignition on. Video footage shows officers discussing whether they should break the vehicle’s window to pull Martin out.

“Once you break it, he’s gonna wake up, start it and put it in drive to go. We don’t want nobody to get hurt,” one officer is heard telling another in the bodycam footage.

The video then shows officers as they continue to strategize about detaining Martin.

“So, here’s the plan. He’s knocked out. The back window is just a plastic. I’m going to try to cut that out quietly, unlock the door. If he doesn’t get startled, doesn’t wake up then we’re going to try to get in there, grab him before he puts that car in gear,” said one of the officers. “If he does take off, just let him go.”

Officers from both agencies approach the vehicle and try pulling Martin out. A Park Police officer then jumps into the backseat yelling, “Police, don’t move. Don’t move. Don’t move.”

In a panic, Martin then drives off with the Park Police officer still in the backseat. The officer then yells at Martin to stop, but the vehicle keeps going.

“Stop man, just let me out. Let me go,” yells the officer. “Stop. Stop or I’ll shoot!”

The officer then shoots Martin causing the vehicle to crash into a house as the officer jumps out.

According to U.S. Park Police, Martin died at the scene. They also claim a gun was recovered from the vehicle after his death. None of the officers involved have been identified.

An FBI civil rights investigation has begun looking into the deadly shooting.

“The loss of a life is always tragic but is especially heartbreaking when it involves a child,” the US Attorney’s Office in Washington said in a statement, calling the bodycam video “extremely upsetting. In coordination with the FBI Washington Field Office, the United States Attorney’s Office has opened a civil rights investigation into the circumstances leading to Mr. Martin’s death. That investigation – which we are committed to conducting diligently and thoroughly – is ongoing.”

Dalaneo’s mother, Terra Martin told CNN that her son shouldn’t be dead and demanded the officers involved be publicly identified and held accountable for their actions.

“This pain hurts so bad. I just want justice for my son,” said Terra. “And I need the officer to be locked up, all of them that played a role.”

Terra started a GoFundMe account for her son “to ensure that his family and young son are supported during this difficult time.”

As of Wednesday morning, nearly $10,000 of the GoFundMe’s $25,000 goal had been contributed.

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147 Black Men And Boys Killed By Police
Police killings 2020
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