ThinkProgress is reporting on a case in Tupelo, Mississippi, where a police officer allowed his K-9 to maul an unarmed man, then fatally shot the individual.
Antwun “Ronnie” Shumpert was driving a friend’s vehicle around 9:30 pm on Saturday, June 18 when he was pulled over by Tupelo Police Officer Tyler Cook, according to attorney Carlos Moore, who’s representing Shumpert’s family. The 37-year-old father of five immediately exited his vehicle and ran for unknown reasons.
In response, the officer released a K-9 who found Shumpert hiding under a nearby home. The dog attacked him, gashing a hole through his testicles and scratching him across his body. When the officer found Shumpert, he shot him four times.
According to Moore, Shumpert was also found with injuries to his face and teeth, indicating that there may have also been a physical altercation between him and the officer.
Shumpert was handcuffed and transported to the North Mississippi Medical Center where he died roughly five hours later.
The Associated Press reported last week that the FBI is monitoring the case and awaiting the results of the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation’s examination of the incident.
At a press conference called by the attorney for Shumpert’s family on June 27, Moore said there are too many unanswered questions from the police department about what happened to Shumpert. He also stated that a homeowner recorded part of the incident and shared the video with him and Shumpert’s family.
” … It shows Mr. Shumpert pulling over in front of the house and then running away. Then there is a whole hour before the ambulance pulls up.”
“Witnesses said the shooting happened within five minutes of him running. Why did it take so long for the ambulance to arrive? Withholding medical care is a violation of a person’s civil rights. Should the facts continue to unveil as they have, we are prepared to initiate a federal civil rights action.”
Moore also stated that to his knowledge, “officers are allowed to use K-9s in a search for a suspected felon … What we do know is that at the time that Mr. Shumpert was being chased, he was not a suspected felon. They didn’t even know his name. It was a simple traffic stop.”
Moore also says the police officer, Tyler Cook, has a recent complaint against alleging excess force.
The police version of events states that Shumpert attacked the K-9 and the officer once he was found. Additional questions, not mentioned by Moore, would be “Why not attack the officer before running away? If you’re going to attack the officer, why not just do it there at the car, and not run away?” Also, “Who attacks a police dog with no weapon?”
The distrust that law enforcement agencies themselves have created—through lack of transparency and outright lying—is what fuels these types of questions and mistrust. Police agencies should focus less on histrionics and public relations when faced with questions of accountability, and more on rooting out the officers that engage in the types of behaviors that trigger federal investigations.