After the shooting death of a suspected car thief two weeks ago, Police in Pinal County, Arizona claimed that the suspect had turned to face them while reaching for a weapon, causing the officers to open fire.
But video taken from a bystander surfaced this week contradicted the police account, showing the suspect with his back turned and his hands in the air just before he was shot.
Manuel Longoria, of Mesa, led police on a 40-minute high-speed chase and only stopped after sheriff’s deputies disabled the tires on the stolen Toyota Corrola. According to witnesses, Longoria told police after he got out of the car that he wouldn’t be taken alive.
Police launched a volley of Tasers and beanbags at him just before he turned around and put his hands in the air. Seconds later, a sheriff’s deputy shot him twice, killing him. There was no weapon found.
The Pinal County Sheriff’s Office said it investigated the shooting and found the officer’s use of lethal force to be justified. The officer who fired the fatal shots returned to duty a week later.
Watch the video below (WARNING: footage contains images some may find disturbing):
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