Missouri: Antonio Martin shooting death sparks new protests, chaos and questions
The mayor of the St. Louis suburb of Berkeley urged calm Wednesday after a white police officer killed a black 18-year-old man, Antonio Martin, who police said pointed a gun at him, sparking new tensions that have lingered since the death of Michael Brown in Ferguson. More protests, arrests and chaos in Missouri continues as sources on Twitter notes that some witnesses claim that Martin was unarmed at the time of the shooting.
Berkeley Mayor Theodore Hoskins said surveillance footage appeared to show Martin pulling a gun on the unidentified 34-year-old officer who questioned him and another man about a theft at a convenience store. Brown was unarmed.
Antonio Martin 2013 booking photo
“You couldn’t even compare this with Ferguson or the Garner case in New York,” Hoskins said, referring to the chokehold death of Eric Garner, another black man killed by a white police officer.
St. Louis County Police Chief Jon Belmar did not provide more details about the theft Martin was being asked about. He said Martin pulled a loaded 9mm handgun and the officer fired three shots while stumbling backward. One hit Martin, who didn’t fire his own gun. He died at the scene.
“I don’t know why the guy didn’t get a shot off, whether his gun jammed or he couldn’t get the safety off,” said attorney Brian Millikan, who is representing the officer. He said that the officer was lucky to be alive and certain he had no choice but to use lethal force.
A loaded 9-millimeter handgun was reportedly found at the scene and surveillance footage from the gas station shows Martin lifting up his arm at the unidentified officer. The video quality, however, is not particularly high, and the incident takes place in a far-off corner, making it difficult to discern exactly what happened. It also cuts off before Belmar shoots Martin.
