The Raleigh Police Departmentreleased body camera footage on Wednesday evening of an officer’s non-fatal shooting of Javier Torres. A judge authorized the release of the body and dash camera footage of the incident earlier on Wednesday.
On Tuesday, someone called 911 on Torres, 26, and a group of other men, leading to a confrontation and pursuit of Torres. He was shot in the abdomen, and the officers in pursuit were the first medical responders, calling for an ambulance immediately. Torres was taken to WakeMed hospital in Raleigh, where police charged him with resisting arrest, “going armed to the terror of the public” and removing the serial number from a gun.
Amid false rumors on social media about the details of the shooting, protesters convened in downtown Raleigh late Tuesday and early Wednesday. The State Bureau of Investigation launched an investigation into the officer’s use of force as part of their standard protocol for officer-involved shootings. Host Anita Rao speaks with WUNC politics reporter Rusty Jacobs about the details of the shooting and the public distrust of police accountability processes.
