UPDATE (12/13/15 8:35 PM):
Witnesses released a video on Saturday that captured the death of a 28-year-old man who was shot and killed by Los Angeles police officers after it was reported that the man, Nicholas Robertson, was armed. Police allegedly told Robertson several times to put his weapon down and after he refused, he was shot.
In a new report by the Boston Globe, authorities said in a Sunday statement that Robertson continued to hold on to his gun, even as he laid on the ground after being shot. The two cops at the scene, "fired 33 bullets at Robertson after he refused to drop his weapon," according to the homicide Captain, Steven Katz. He told the Boston Globe, "When [Robertson] collapsed, his arms were underneath him, and the gun was still in his hand. There was never a time when the weapon was not in his possession."
According to witnesses, they told authorities that Robertson had fired six to seven rounds before law enforcement arrived. The Boston Globe points out that Robertson had been walking around a residential street and a high-traffic area with the gun in his hand. When police arrived at the gas station where Roberston was located, there were two women and three children inside his car, according to the Boston Globe. Officers then questioned Robertson about supposedly firing his weapon, and that's when the altercation rose.
Katz told the Boston Globe, "The gun was not registered to Robertson and has not been reported stolen. Detectives are trying to track it."
See original story below.
Yesterday a 28-year-old man was shot and killed by police officers after he was reported to be armed near a gas station. The police allegedly told Nicholas Robertson to put his gun down, and after he failed to do so he was shot. A cell phone video of the incident seems to show the cops firing multiple bullets at Robertson, who is shot at a few more times as he tries to crawl away (WARNING: The video is graphic).
As KTLAreports, the video shows Robertson looking non-combative, and he is walking away before being shot at by two officers. They continue to shoot at him even after he is down on the ground. Still, information surrounding the incident remains murky.
As details continue to emerge, Sheriff Jim McDonnell released a statement on the Sheriff's Department Facebook in regard to the cell phone video taken of the scene.
I want to assure the public that the Sheriff’s Department takes deputy involved shootings very seriously and that this investigation will be handled with the utmost professionalism and integrity. We are working closely with our criminal justice system partners as well as members of the public to put together the most comprehensive and accurate account of exactly what occurred.
According to the Daily Beast, police assert that Robertson was armed. His family, on the other hand, insist he was not.
We'll continue to update as the story unfolds.
