A 17 year old black teenager named David Joseph was naked and unarmed when he was fatally shot by police officer Geoffrey Freeman Monday morning in Austin, Texas.
At a press conference Tuesday morning, Assistant Police Chief Brian Manley informed the public that the case is being investigated by the Austin Police Internal Affairs division (APIA) along with the department’s Special Investigations Unit.
It is believed that the case will eventually be presented to a grand jury in Travis County.
As reported by Heavy, the officer was told by local dispatchers that no weapon was involved. At this time, there is no known video of the shooting but there is audio, which will be made public at a later date.
Local NAACP chapter President Nelson Linder told the Austin American Statesman that the incident highlights and underscores the need for better training from police forces nationwide so that similar situations can be deescalated and the number one goal of preserving life.
“Once again it is very clear that this policy of response to resistance is not being enforced,” Linder told the newspaper. “They need to rethink this whole approach, especially if there might be mental illness issues.”
Read More – Heavy
