Dashcam shows mentally-ill man shot 14 times as he flees Sacramento police (GRAPHIC VIDEOS)
Sacramento police have released three dashcam videos and one surveillance video which show the pursuit and killing of 50-year-old Joseph Mann, who was shot 14 times by police.
Video and audio recordings were released by Sacramento Police Chief Sam Somers on Tuesday after mounting pressure from the mayor, members of the city council and Mann’s family, who called for more information surrounding the July 11 shooting.
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“It’s unprecedented for us to release video prior to the adjudication process,” Somers told reporters. “There are times that we’re in today, sometimes it’s important that we come out with this video or this audio.
“It’s a very disturbing situation when you have to see someone lose their life and it’s captured on video.”
WARNING: GRAPHIC VIDEOS
Officers were called to the scene in Del Paso Heights by two 911 callers who claimed to have seen a “mentally ill” man armed with a gun and brandishing a knife. The knife allegedly involved in the incident was later found, but no gun was located.
The disturbing footage shows two officers fire 18 shots at Mann, 14 of which hit him, following a five-minute pursuit.
Mann’s family claim the officers should not have used lethal force, alleging he was in the midst of a mental crisis and have filed a federal civil rights lawsuit and a claim against the city.
Although the possibility of Mann suffering from mental illness was raised during the 911 call, the dispatch did not pass this information on to officers, KCRA3 reports. John Burris, attorney for Mann’s relatives, said “Any reasonable police officer should have noticed that he was mentally impaired” and that his behavior did not warrant him being shot multiple times.
In the surveillance video, Mann’s arms are raised and he doesn’t appear to be threatening the officers with a weapon when they open fire from about 15ft (6 meters) away. As shots ring out Mann can be seen crumpling to the ground and heard yelling in pain.
