A police officer from Oklahoma city shot a deaf man, who was not implicated in the crime under investigation.
Sergeant Christopher Barnes and Lieutenant Matthew Lindsey approached the house of Magdiel Sanchez, looking for the driver of a car speeding away from the scene of the accident. On the porch stood a 35-year-old Magdiel and was holding a 2 foot metal pipe. Police retrieved the weapon, – one of them had a gun, another had a Shocker. They ordered the man to drop the pipe and to raise their hands, however, that, disregarding the order came down the steps, continuing to hold the tube and went to him.
The neighbors cried, «He can’t hear you! Don’t shoot!». But now both officers continued to shout, ignoring the people.
Between officers and Magdelen there was a distance of 15 feet, at the same time when the police used weapons: a Taser and a gun. The man was pronounced dead at the scene.
Later, the police learned that the man was completely deaf (he had disabilities) and more – he was not the one whom they sought, and the son of the offender.
Gunman Sergeant Christopher Barnes – were suspended from office pending an internal investigation.
The police captain of the Oklahoma city Bo Matthews at a press conference devoted to the tragic case, tried to alleviate the passions and said that the outcome of such situations may be different. The police thus could neutralize an armed criminal, they had to make a difficult choice: to shoot without scrutiny or not to shoot, but narazat himself on a deadly, possibly a danger. The officers chose the former. Matthews also said that the local police have officers proficient in sign language, but he wasn’t sure whether there are such skills in Barnes and Lindsey.
According to neighbors, the man always carried with him a stick or a piece of pipe for self defense, but not from the people, but because in the area there are many stray dogs. Approaching the policeman, he tried to explain something in sign language, but the officers apparently did not attach any importance to this, as the screams of the neighbors at that time on the street there were at least 3 people.
Sanchez is one of the 712 peoplewho were shot dead by the police in 2017, according to the database Fatal Force edition of the Washington Post.
