A white police officer in St. Louis shot a black off-duty police officer because he “feared for his life.” He is claiming it was “friendly fire.”
The black cop came out of his home after hearing a car chase that ended nearby. Even though he identified himself as a cop, the officers still ordered him to the ground. Eventually, they recognized him and told him to get up.
A third officer then came up to the scene. He claimed to “fear for his life,” and he shot the black officer in the arm. He claimed to not recognize the black officer. The police force initially claimed that the black officer was “caught in the crossfire.”
Rufus J. Tate Jr., the attorney for the injured off-duty officer, said:
“This is the first time that we are aware, that a black professional, in law enforcement, himself being shot and treated as an ordinary black guy on the street. This is a real problem.”
“In the police report, you have so far, there is no description of the threat he received. So we have a real problem with that. But this has been a national discussion for the past two years. There is this perception that a black man is automatically feared.”
The officer who was injured is 38-years-old and has been on the St. Louis police force for 11 years.
Featured image via Twitter.