Family calls for release of body cam footage after man fatally shot by DC police
WASHINGTON - Sunday marked exactly a week after an officer-involved shooting in D.C. left a man dead. The community is now coming together calling for justice and asking for the full police body-worn camera footage to be released.
Earlier this week, the office of Mayor Muriel Bowser put out a letter informing the community that the body camera footage that was worn by the officers who opened fire on Justin Robinson would not be released, saying the next of kin declined the release.
But on Sunday, members of the community and some family members were out, calling for the "full release" of the body camera footage from all officers who responded to the scene on Sunday, Sept. 1 at the McDonald's on Marion Barry Avenue in Southeast just after 5:30 p.m.
Police say the initial call was for a car crash at the McDonald’s but when they arrived, they found Robinson unconscious in his car in the drive-thru with a gun on his lap.
D.C. police say additional backup was called.
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Shortly after, they say Robinson started to wake up. They asked him to put his gun down and that’s when they say he tried to grab an officer's gun before two officers fired their weapons.
Robinson died on the scene.
On Friday, some of Robinson’s family members came together to remember his life. The 26-year-old was a violence interrupter for the ‘Cure the Streets’ program.
His sister is calling for justice, asking for the full body camera footage to be released to the public.
"I watched the video over and over and over again," she said. "There is a reason why we chose not to release the video because we want you guys to see the whole video. We want you to hear my story first."
FOX 5 did reach out to the city and police about the body camera video. In a statement, they said, "for all fatal officer-involved shootings," the entire footage is released and posted online.
But some of Justin’s family members mention that the video was redacted.
MPD tells FOX 5 that if parts are redacted, it’s to cover the faces of witnesses and other bystanders
The community is coming together calling for "Justice for Justin."
They’ve created a change.org page that has almost a thousand signatures.
the two officers involved in this shooting are on administrative leave.
FOX 5 was also told that the family can change their mind and ask for the video to be released, and the city will make it public.