Washington D.C. law enforcement released body camera footage Monday evening from a fatal police-involved shooting that occurred this month. The footage only leaves more questions for the victim’s family as to what really happened despite the claims from the police.
Washington D.C. Metropolitan police officers responded to a call the evening of Sept. 1 reporting a car crash in the drive through of a McDonald’s in Southeast D.C. The body camera video shows the vehicle of 26-year-old Justin Robinson parked a few feet from the pay window with damage to the front bumper.
Robinson appeared unconscious in the driver’s seat. The officer said over dispatch that the “suspect,” referring to Robinson, had a firearm on his lap.
That officer spoke to a woman pulling up behind Robinson’s vehicle, per the video, ordering her to exit her car because she was “too drunk to drive.” He also warned her that Robinson had a gun. The woman insisted she wasn’t drunk but agreed to comply with the officer’s orders to reverse her car out of the drive-thru lane.
In the video, the officer called for more officers to park their police cruisers to block in Robinson’s vehicle in the drive-thru. The officer then moved his own car in front of Robinson’s vehicle. In the video, the cop told the other responding officers they needed “deadly coverage” and “extraction.”
Another officer then reported Robinson begin to wake up.
“Sir! Keep your hand off the gun!” one officer shouted at Robinson.
More officers approached the driver’s side with their guns drawn ordering Robinson to put his hands. The officers continued to shout commands and tried to open Robinson’s door which appeared to be locked, the footage shows. Robinson held one hand up as he rolled down the window with the other, per the video. The officers then began sticking their guns inside the car.
What happened next is where the confusion comes in. The police department claimed Robinson tried to grab one of the officer’s gun from the window, resulting in the hail of gunfire. However, his family believes otherwise.
“From my watching of the video. Mr. Robinson seems to be waking up. I think he’s trying to push a gun away from his face,” said Brandon Burrell, the family’s attorney, via WUSA9 News.
Immediately following the shooting, the officers continued yelling at Robinson to show his hands though he was slumped over and seemingly unresponsive, per the video. After opening the driver door, the officer pulled on Robinson’s shoulder asking him if he has any firearms. Robinson did not respond. The cop then dragged him out of the vehicle and began administering CPR, ordering the other cops to grab a first aid kit. He was pronounced dead on the scene, police said.
The doubt of Robinson truly posing a threat not only stems from the video’s discrepancies but also from his dedication to community safety. Robinson’s sister told local reporters her brother was a violence interrupter for Cure the Streets, a program launched by the Officer of the Attorney General for the District of Columbia to combat gun violence. Robinson’s responsibilities were to de-escalate conflicts through mediation and avert shootings, according to the program description.
The two officers behind the shooting, Vasco Mateus and Bryan Gilchrist, have been placed on administrative leave pending investigation, the report says.