Like many needless police shooting deaths, Tymar Crawford was initially pulled over because cops claimed they smelled marijuana coming from his car.
Pensacola police say he then tried to avoid the stop and “started throwing narcotics out the window,” which is how cops describe weed even though it is technically not a narcotic (it is not an opioid).
After a “slow-speed car chase,” Crawford pulled in front of his house which was when he was shot to death.
Police say he was killed after he took an officer’s gun during a struggle, according to the Pensacola News Journal.
They also say they have body cam and dashcam footage that would prove this, only they are not releasing it because of the “investigation.”
The North Florida police department is even seeking an exemption from Florida’s public record laws – which are some of the broadest in the nation – that would allow them to not release the video, according to WEAR TV.
Earlier this week, the attorney for Crawford’s family, Joseph Zarzaur, filed a petition for the release of the videos.
As of now, a video recorded by a witness has surfaced but it is low quality and recorded from across the street with Crawford’s car obstructing the struggle but it does capture the gunshots and the shocked reactions from witnesses.
The incident took place on July 5 and has sparked protests in the community demanding justice and transparency as you can see in the video below. Meanwhile, police have not released the cop’s name, only saying he is on paid administrative leave.
The case is being investigated by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement as well as the department’s internal affairs division. The case will also be brought before a grand jury.
The low-quality video recorded by the witness can be viewed here since it is not embeddable.
