Family opts to keep bodycam footage private after DC police shooting
Family of DC shooting victim requests bodycam footage be withheld
D.C. authorities will not release the body camera footage of the two officers involved in the fatal shooting of a Violence Interrupter over the weekend, as the family of Justin Robinson has requested that the video remain private. FOX 5's Nana-Sentuo Bonsu has the story.
WASHINGTON - D.C. authorities will not release the body camera footage of the two officers involved in the fatal shooting of a Violence Interrupter over the weekend, as the family of Justin Robinson has requested that the video remain private.
Under D.C. law, Mayor Muriel Bowser has five days to release body camera footage unless the victim’s family objects.
Robinson’s family has chosen to keep the footage from public view, according to officials.
Justin Robinson, 26.
The decision comes just after community members called for the release of the footage during protests demanding justice for Robinson, who was shot and killed by police in Southeast D.C. on Sunday morning.
According to the Metropolitan Police Department, officers responded to a McDonald’s on the 2500 block of Marion Barry Avenue Southeast around 5:30 a.m. because of a reported crash.
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When officers arrived, they found Robinson, 26, unresponsive in his car at the drive-thru, with a gun visible in his lap.
Police called for backup and said that as Robinson began to wake up, they ordered him to put down the weapon. MPD claims Robinson then tried to grab an officer’s gun, prompting two officers to fire their weapons, killing him at the scene.
The officers involved, Vasco Mateus and Brian Gilchrist, have been placed on administrative leave.
Mateus has served with MPD for four years, while Gilchrist has been with the department for two and a half years. Both are assigned to the 7th District.
Jawanna Hardy, founder of Guns Down Friday, initially called for the release of the footage but expressed understanding of the family’s decision to keep it private.
"To see your loved one, no matter what the situation is, on social media or TV, to have to relive that every day—it’s traumatizing," Hardy said.
In a letter to Council Member Brooke Pinto, chair of the Judiciary Committee, Deputy Mayor for Public Safety and Justice Lindsay Appiah confirmed the officers' names and their current administrative status.
Hardy emphasized the community's frustration and desire for fairness, stating, "Anytime police are involved in a community shooting, there’s always questions. Because who has the right to take a life?"
DC City Council does have the ability to request access to the footage for oversight purposes, though it remains unclear if they will pursue that option.