The shooting of an unarmed African-American man under mysterious circumstances by an off-duty white police officer sparked outrage in Fayetteville, North Carolina, where the victim’s relatives are calling for protests on Thursday.
The family of prominent rights attorney Benjamin Crump and Jason Walker have scheduled a “rally for justice” in the city at 8:00 p.m. (0100 GMT).
Small groups of residents have already marched in Fayetteville this week to demand the arrest of officers’ Jeffrey Hash, in a case that has sparked a debate about whether police use excessive force in the United States. especially against minorities.
Hash, who has been working in the city since 2005, was off duty when the firing incident happened on Saturday afternoon.
The officer was driving with his wife and daughter in their vehicle when they approached Walker, an unarmed 37-year-old black man crossing the street near his parents’ home.
Moments later, Hash opened fire, and soon Walker died of gunshot wounds. What exactly happened is in dispute.
In an amateur video, filmed right after the shooting and posted online, the police officer told coworkers that Walker jumped in the middle of the road and applied the brakes to avoid him.
According to Hash, Walker threw himself on the vehicle, tore off a windshield wiper and used it to hit the windshield, prompting Hash to draw out his weapon to protect his family.
But eyewitnesses say Hash hit a pedestrian before stopping.
“I saw him brake, stop completely and then keep going,” Elizabeth Ricks told the ABC station. “I saw him kill Jason… then his body was slammed into the windshield.”
He heard shots fired again, Ricks said. “I think he fired three times through the windshield the first time and out of the vehicle,” she said.
According to police, Hash’s black-painted pickup truck had no dents and Walker’s body had no effect other than a bullet injury.
The officer was placed on administrative leave, but has not been arrested or charged with a crime. State investigators have launched an investigation into the murder.
Crump said the family and the wider Fayetteville community were seeking answers as to why Walker was “unnecessarily shot and killed” by an off-duty officer.
“We have reason to believe it was a case of ‘shoot first, ask later’,” Crump, known for his fight against police brutality, said in a statement.
US police officers kill an average of 1,000 people each year, with African Americans being among the victims.
Police are rarely prosecuted, although the major anti-racism protests of 2020 led to some changes in the courts, some with convictions against police and others in high-profile shooting deaths.
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