A graphic video showing the shooting of 25-year-old Kajieme Powell by two St. Louis Metropolitan Police officers on Wednesday has been released. The video was taken by a bystandander and shows two officers pulling up to the pavement and accosting Powell, suspected of shoplifting energy drinks and donuts.
Powell is seen walking towards the officers with what appears to be a knife in his right hand shouting, “Shoot me! Shoot me!” He retreats and then walks to the officers again and they kill him and twelve shots are heard.
The scene took place just four miles from Ferguson, Missouri, where there are still clashes between authorities and protestors following the shooting of 18-year-old Michael Brown by the police on August 9.
“I don’t think any of us can deny that the tension, not only in St. Louis but around the county and the world, because of the activities in Ferguson over the last 10 or 12 days certainly has led to us making sure that we got this right and answered as many questions as we could as quickly as we can,” St. Louis Police Chief Sam Dotson told St. Louis Public Radio, speaking about his decision to quickly release the video below along with surveillance footage and audio tapes of the 911 calls.
Close up of Powell shooting –
Full video recorded on a cell phone by bystander –
Store surveillance captures shooting –
A new protest, this time for Powell’s shooting, took place on Wednesday. Tension has escalated following the second shooting.