Texas police shoot and kill unarmed man with his hands in the air

Jon Street
The Blaze
Tue, 01 Sep 2015 14:53 UTC

© KSATV-TV

A Texas news station published unedited video showing the moment that a man who had put his hands up was fatally shot outside a home in an officer-involved shooting.

KSAT-TV in San Antonio reported that 41-year-old Gilbert Flores was confronted by Bexar County deputies Greg Vasquez and Robert Sanchez. Video shows a patrol vehicle with its lights on outside the home as the two officers approach Flores from the right of the screen, separated from the suspect by two other vehicles parked along the street.

Flores then comes out from behind the vehicle, appears to start to walk away, then comes back.

He appears to have both arms in the air just before crouching his upper body inward, then falling backward and hitting the ground. Each of the two deputies react by taking a few steps back toward the street. Moments later, another patrol vehicle arrives on the scene and an ambulance arrives on the scene about three minutes later.

KSAT reported the deputies had responded to a domestic violence call. Both are on paid administrative leave pending an investigation.

The station said it chose not to release the video at first, but since there is now an ongoing investigation by both the Bexar County Sheriff's Office and the district attorney, viewers can choose whether or not they want to watch it. The unedited video was released on the station's website, not broadcast live.

The Bexar County Sheriff's Office blasted the station for its decision to publish the video.

"Today, members of our local media chose to broadcast online unedited video of a man's death," the sheriff's office posted on Facebook. "KSAT 12 paid a neighbor who filmed the tragedy $100 for the exclusive rights to the video."

"As a result, people from outside our community have bombarded us with inappropriate comments, and today, physical threats toward our deputies. These deputies have not been charged with a crime and a family lost their loved one. This is unethical and sad," the post said.

While some online criticized KSAT's decision to publish the graphic footage as irresponsible, other backed the choice, writing, "We have a right to public oversight of public servants. The media should not protect them," KTRK-TV reported.

You can see the graphic unedited video KSAT-TV here.

Comment: The epidemic of police killing people with little or no provocation in the U.S. continues unabated. No matter the public outcry, these brutal actions are consistently covered up and police officers are given a free pass for their actions in most cases. In contrast, police in Norway rarely use their guns and it has been almost 10 years since anyone in law enforcement there shot and killed someone. Perhaps police should be following their example, rather than training to learn the brutal methods of the Israelis.