The police chief in Richmond, Virginia has strong words for people who jumped to conclusions on social media following an officer involved shooting involving a nude man.
The department provided a first look at the shooting with the release of the dash and body camera video released in the "interest of transparency."
According to the department, Marcus Peters was hit by a car then started doing snow angels in the street before he jumped up and came towards veteran police officer Michael Nyantaki.
The officer deploys a tazer for 11 seconds then switches to his gun and fires two more rounds during a struggle. From roadside to shots fired it takes 18 seconds.
"We are wearing a lot of hats ladies and gentlemen, and when incidents come like this, and folks just want to beat us up without knowing the facts, that hurts ladies and gentlemen. It hurts the morale of the men and women of my department, and It hurts me, said Chief Alfred Durham.
"The same thing that you all saw here is what he family saw because, again, what I first stated ladies and gentlemen, my priority was to the family and my officer. Before I put anything out, that’s respect."
The timeline starts when Peters starts taking his clothes off, then a hit and run witnessed by the officer, two more cars being sideswiped, and a crash into brush along a highway.
Chief Durham says a thorough investigation is underway and he won’t let it be tainted by fallacies and misinformation.
"We want a fair and thorough investigation. Do not pass judgment and if you do … shame on you!"
