Did Downey Police Shoot And Kill An Innocent Man?
DOWNEY (CBS) — Police in Downey shot and killed a man they called a robbery suspect Saturday evening.
While police would not confirm the man's death, Rachel Kim, reporting for CBS2 and KCAL9, spoke to grieving family members outside the hospital. And they insist their relative was a victim of being in the wrong place at the wrong time and in no way robbed anyone.
The officer-involved shooting occurred just after 7:20 p.m. near Imperial Highway and Paramount Boulevard, according to officials.
Police were responding to a robbery call when they said they encountered a man who fit the suspect's description.
Officers tried to detain the man but they said he resisted. One officer fired at least two shots at the man. It was unclear how many times the suspect was hit.
But Terri Teramura, a woman who identified herself as the suspect's sister, told Kim,"My brother and his wife were getting gas. He went across the street to get some cigarettes. He jaywalked, I guess. And the police saw him...confronted him. I don't know what happened, but they shot him...in the back. Five times. Killed him."
She catches herself and continues. "He's dead. He's dead. He's gone. He has four kids."
The suspect was transported to a nearby hospital where he was pronounced dead.
It was also not revealed if the suspect was armed. But his sister insists he was unarmed. Choking back tears his sister said, "They said they thought he robbed somebody down the street. We are...so upset."
Officials also said the alleged robbery victim was not hurt.
