![]() ![]() The admission came during a Tuesday press conference in which White released the body-camera footage of Burks’ killing and defended his officers’ actions. Police initially told the public that officers used a stun gun on Burks before the shooting-before Chief James White admitted on Tuesday that it was unclear if the de-escalation tactic was actually used. Nobody deserves to go through what this family is going through.”Ī spokesperson for Detroit Police did not immediately respond to a request for comment.įieger added that the family has “been on a rollercoaster” since Burks was killed on Sunday. “This lawsuit is about alerting the public about the realities of limited mental-health resources in Michigan and standing against the status quo,” Fieger told The Daily Beast. After the deadly incident, Fieger said, Burks was “dumped” at the hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The pending lawsuit was first announced during a Thursday news conference, where Fieger stood behind Burks’ family as he chastised the department and demanded answers, claiming the 20-year-old was handcuffed after being shot. The lawyer added that he and the family are planning to sue the Detroit Police Department and the officers who carried out the shooting, alleging negligence and civil rights violations. Unarmed Man Shot by Cops Texted Girlfriend Goodbye: Witnessįieger argued that Burks’ killing exemplifies the inadequacies of the mental health system-and shows how police officers are often too quick to use force during a mental health crisis, even when they ostensibly are trying to avoid inflicting lethal harm. The police department has not released the names of the officers who fired, but offered the traditional indication that they are on administrative leave pending an internal investigation.Īttorney Geoffrey Fieger, who is representing the Burks family, told The Daily Beast on Thursday the family was demanding answers for a situation he equated to an “execution” that should have never happened. Police say that Burks, who was about six feet away from the officers, was hit at least 15 times by gunfire. Within moments, five cops unleashed 38 bullets toward him. ![]() Porter, you’re not in any trouble, man,” the cop is heard saying in the video released by the department on Tuesday.īut the de-escalation tactics appeared to cease about four minutes into the negotiations, when Burks is seen running toward the officers. “I just want to help you, man, OK? Can you do me a favor and drop the knife? Can you drop the knife for me? Please? Please, whatever you’re going through, I can help you. Body-camera footage from a crisis intervention officer on hand shows Burks standing in the middle of the street while officers offer him help several times and ask him to put the weapon down. ![]() on Sunday when they responded to the scene. Police say that Burks, a 20-year-old Black man diagnosed with schizophrenia, was carrying a knife around 5 a.m. Along the way, they fueled new questions about whether even those cops who are specifically intended to help people in crisis do anything at all to make people of color less likely to die in a hail of police bullets. ![]() It took about three seconds for five Detroit officers to kill Porter Burks as he advanced toward them in the throes of a mental health episode on Sunday. ![]()
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