Officials released new bodycam footage showing the moment a US Park Police officer shot and killed a black teenager inside a stolen car in Washington D.C.
17-year-old Dalaneo Martin was sleeping in a suspicious car parked outside a residential area on March 18 when Park Police joined the Washington Metro Police to confront him.
He was shot by an officer and died at the scene.
In a video shared by United States Park Police (USPP), officers are seen entering the vehicle to wake up the sleeping driver after confirming the car was stolen.
The suspect wakes up and panics as officers attempt to arrest him. He then attempts to drive away and yells, “Get off of me.”
One of the officers is thrown from the car, with the other yelling at Martin to stop while the teenager screams back.
“Stop, man, just let me out,” the officer yells as he pulls out his firearm. “Let me go!”
The officer finally points his gun at Martin, yelling: “Stop! Stop or I’ll shoot you!”
When Martin fails to comply, the officer fires multiple times, striking the teen in the back and causing the vehicle to crash into a nearby home.
The bodycam video shows the two officers attempting to aid Martin, who lies on the grass and was pronounced dead at the scene.
Neither officer suffered any life-threatening injuries as a result of the incident, and they were placed on administrative leave as the Metro Police Department conducts an internal investigation.
None of the officers involved in the attempted arrest have been publicly identified.
BREAKING: The FBI and DOJ have just opened a civil rights probe into a police shooting and car crash that caused the death of African American teenager Dalaneo Martin:
– The officer entered the vehicle, waking Martin up.
– Martin began driving with officer in car.
– The… pic.twitter.com/VwFC4px8yV
— Brian Krassenstein (@krassenstein) April 5, 2023
The FBI and federal prosecutors have now opened a civil rights investigation into the matter, calling the new footage “extremely upsetting.”
“The loss of a life is always tragic but is especially heartbreaking when it involves a child,” the US Attorney’s Office in Washington said in a statement. “In coordination with the FBI Washington Field Office, the United States Attorney’s Office has opened a civil rights investigation into the circumstances leading to Mr. Martin’s death.”
Along with the moment of Martin’s death, the video shows the officers contemplating how to arrest the teen, noting that he was likely to freak out and drive away if they weren’t careful.
“If he does take off, just let him go,” one of the officers could be heard saying just before the attempted arrest.
Jade Mathis, an attorney for Martin’s family, told the Washington Post they wanted the officer who shot the teen to be identified, prosecuted and fired.
Watch the video of the shooting below.
USPP releases body worn camera footage from March 2023 officer involved shooting
A word of caution: this video of an officer involved shooting contains graphic content and strong language. Viewer discretion is advised. pic.twitter.com/01PLiLaIKD
— killmoenetworkent (@killmoenetwork) April 4, 2023
