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St. Louis Police Officer Shoots, Kills Teen During “Pedestrian Check”

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B

Black Mamba

Member
A St. Louis Police officer reportedly shot and killed a young man Wednesday evening.

The shooting happened when an off-duty St. Louis police officer tried to do a “pedestrian check” on a man in his late teens or twenties. According to a statement issued to BuzzFeed News, the man fled and shot at the officer. The officer returned fire and killed the man.

An officer working department-approved secondary for a security company, wearing a St. Louis Police Officer’s uniform was in the 4100 block of Shaw when he attempted a pedestrian check. The male suspect fled on foot. The officer pursued the suspect. The suspect turned and fired a gun at the officer. Fearing for his safety, the officer returned fire striking the suspect, fatally wounding him. The officer was not injured. A gun was recovered from the scene. The officer is a 32-year old white male. He has been on the force for 6 years. The suspect is a black male believed to be 18-20 years old. As is department policy, the officer has been placed on administrative leave. The investigation is ongoing.​

Witnesses at the scene identified the person who was killed as 18-yearold Vonderrick Myers, The Post-Dispatch reported. The paper also reported that the off-duty officer initially tried to stop four men.

Soon after the shooting, a large crowd gathered at the scene.

Despite police reports that the man fired first, many at the scene claimed he was in fact unarmed. Teyonna Myers told The Post-Dispatch that police only thought Myers had a gun.

“He was unarmed,” Teyonna Myers told the paper. “He had a sandwich in his hand, and they thought it was a gun. It’s like Michael Brown all over again.”

Police did not immediately respond to questions about Myers.

Some at the scene reported that Myers was shot as many as 16 times.

There have been several other pedestrian checks that led to police shootings in St. Louis over the past few years.

Last year, a St. Louis police officer shot 30-year-old Lamont Dukes, RiverFront Times reported. Dukes didn’t die and, because he fled from police, was later charged with resisting arrest.

In 2012, police shot a 20-year-old man during a pedestrian check on St. Louis’ north side. That man also didn’t die.
Click to expand...

http://www.buzzfeed.com/jimdalrympl...shoots-kills-man-during-pedestrian-c?#2u5loda

St. Louis on a roll.
 
B

Black Mamba

Member
ponpo said:
So was it a gun or a sandwich.
Click to expand...

CsevDtV.jpg
 
E

Esch

Banned
Happened right next to my friend's house (literally, block away). Gonna ask him what's up.

I hate this city right now.
 
N

NYCmetsfan

Banned
Is a "pedestrian stop" the same thing as a terry stop?

Because those have evolved way beyond what the court held when it authorized them and they are a clear violation of the 4th as practiced by most police departments today
 
N

NYCmetsfan

Banned
ponpo said:
So was it a gun or a sandwich.
Click to expand...


Reminds me of American Skin (41 shots) by bruce springsteen

Is it a gun, is it a knife
Is it a wallet, this is your life
It ain't no secret (it ain't no secret)
It ain't no secret (it ain't no secret)
No secret my friend
You can get killed just for living in your American skin
Click to expand...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQMqWAiWPMs

Song was based on the Amadou Diallo killing but continues to be played out what seems like weekly.
 
E

Esch

Banned
Esch said:
Happened right next to my friend's house (literally, block away). Gonna ask him what's up.

I hate this city right now.
Click to expand...

Talked to him and he said that the people who witnessed it said the guy was unarmed, with a sandwich.

Feels weird that the shooting even happened on the street. I go there to hang out all the time.... Eat, go to the park.

:(
 
N

NYCmetsfan

Banned
Black Mamba said:
Let's pretend the guy had a gun.

Why is an off-duty police officer doing a "pedestrian stop."
Click to expand...

It says he was working security.

Neighborhoods or buildings sometimes hire off-duty cops to wear their uniform and "provide security" aka scare people from doing things. Its authorized by the department. I think most appearances by cops at public events are off-duty (like at the fair or local parade).
 
B

Black Mamba

Member
APKmetsfan said:
It says he was working security.

Neighborhoods or buildings sometimes hire off-duty cops to wear their uniform and "provide security." Its authorized by the department
Click to expand...

I got that. Still doesn't answer the question why he's doing a "pedestrian stop."

As you mentioned, sounds like a Terry Stop. Which he shouldn't be doing off-duty, especially.
 
D

Dreams-Visions

Member
need video of some sort.

Otakumegane said:
Yeah did he run or not?

That's kind of important here.
Click to expand...

he ran. the question isn't whether he ran (and should have been arrested for it); it's whether he had a gun. It is being alleged that he had a gun...and witnesses are basically suggesting the gun was planted.

Gonna need video or the cop will walk. And maybe he should walk. If the kid had a gun, he more than earned getting shot. If it's a plant, all hell will break loose.
 
N

NYCmetsfan

Banned
Black Mamba said:
I got that. Still doesn't answer the question why he's doing a "pedestrian stop."

As you mentioned, sounds like a Terry Stop. Which he shouldn't be doing off-duty, especially.
Click to expand...

"acting suspiciously" or something I'm sure will be the reason

Edit:
Police said the uniformed officer involved was working a secondary job for a private security company when he encountered four pedestrians in the 4100 block of Shaw Boulevard and stopped to talk with them at about 7:30 p.m.
The four fled and the officer chased one, Assistant Chief Alfred Adkins said.
The man the officer was chasing jumped from some bushes and struggled with the officer, Adkins said. The man then pulled a gun and fired at the officer, Adkins said. The officer returned fire and fatally shot the man.
The officer was not injured and a gun was recovered from the scene, police said.
Click to expand...

This says "stopped to talk" if this statement came after the buzzfeed one its clear the police are trying to deflect from the officer starting the confrontation
 
D

dr3upmushroom

Banned
Black Mamba said:
Let's pretend the guy had a gun.

Why is an off-duty police officer doing a "pedestrian stop."
Click to expand...

Makes it all the more fucked up. The kid went into flight or fight mode, It's only natural that he'd run away (or fight) from some crazed power tripping dude.

Edit:Nvm, reread and saw that he was in uniform.
 
T

TAJ

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.
Mariolee said:
Crazy case, but yeah we'll have to find out for sure if there was a gun or not.
Click to expand...

Even if there was it sounds like possible crack sprinkling.
 
E

ElectricKaibutsu

Member
I don't really know how gun registration databases work. If the cops say it was the kid's gun, is it possible to double check that? Or do they control access to that info?
 
U

Ultryx

Member
Says the guy fled from the officer, turned and fired at the officer, and was then fatally shot when the officer returned fire. A gun was recovered at the crime scene.

Find the bullet that you claim was fired and we have a closed case.
 
C

CygnusXS

will gain confidence one day
The provided details and witness accounts raise a bunch of questions. However, at first glance, this seems like yet another incident where an overly aggressive authority figure created a violent situation, and it led to someone else's death. It will be interesting to see how the story develops.
 
N

Nappuccino

Member
freddy said:
Not all guns would be registered or some might be stolen.
Click to expand...

Makes you wonder if they had time to get an unregistered gun from lockup, or if they just had one lying around.

Then again, maybe the kid did fire at the police and witnesses are lying. I'll wait for more proof before trusting either side. I just wish the police weren't so corrupt so it'd be easier to take their side (or at least the "operating with best intent" side).
 
F

Foxy Fox 39

Banned
So without any sarcasm I am going to *reserve my judgement* on this situation. The only reason being that I cannot believe they would pull another Mike Brown. I just simply can't. Right now though, my initial reaction is disbelief, exhaustion, and depression.

Either way, whatever come of this news, we know police departments across this country need reformation -- badly. It's quite telling when you have to wonder whether or not a cop shot 16 bullets into a man because he may or may not have had a weapon.


** Right now though situation seems effed**

edit: Oh wow, Ok, so he may have had a gun. I guess the above is the appropriate way to wait for all the..well you know.
 
S

Salamando

Member
...Did they find the sandwich?

Shouldn't be that hard to find the truth here. Search the gun for fingerprints, see if you can tie it back to the victim apart from it being on the scene...try to find the bullets he allegedly shot...see if you can get a count of shots fired from witnesses and match it up with rounds missing from the cops gun...
 
L

loaf of bread

Member
Esch said:
account from a possible eyewitness thats floating around the internet:

https://vine.co/v/OAznejWhuFT
Click to expand...

So the cop tazed him and then shot him 16 times when he was on the ground? Yeah sorry he's definitely bullshitting. Does a standard issue police pistol even have 16 rounds in a clip? There's no way in hell even the worst cop in the world would fire nonstop for 15 seconds at a dude on the ground.
 
B

Bodacious

Banned
J1SSL3R said:
Says the guy fled from the officer, turned and fired at the officer, and was then fatally shot when the officer returned fire. A gun was recovered at the crime scene.

Find the bullet that you claim was fired and we have a closed case.
Click to expand...

That bullet could be 5 feet away in the dirt. Or it could be a mile away.

If he fired the gun, there should be detectable residue (microscopic burned gunpowder) on his hand.
 
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