Video shows police shot Ohio man ‘on sight’ as he leaned on toy gun in Walmart

Video shows police shot Ohio man ‘on sight’ as he leaned on toy gun in Walmart, attorney says

Surveillance video shows an Ohio man talking on a cell phone, leaning on a toy gun, and facing away from officers moments before police shot and killed him in a Walmart store, according to an attorney for the man’s family.

...

Police claim Crawford ignored their commands to drop the weapon, and the former Marine who called in the report and witnessed the shooting said Crawford “looked like he was going to go violently.”

But attorney Michael Wright said surveillance video from the incident, which Ohio’s attorney general allowed him to watch with Crawford’s family, contradicted those accounts.

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The attorney said surveillance video showed Crawford facing away from officers, talking on the phone, and leaning on the pellet gun like a cane when he was “shot on sight” in a “militaristic” response by police.

The article continues:

“He said he was at the video games playing videos, and he went over there by the toy section where the toy guns were,” said LeeCee Johnson, the mother of his two children. “The next thing I know, he said, ‘It’s not real,’ and the police start shooting, and they said ‘Get on the ground,’ but he was already on the ground because they had shot him.”

Johnson put the phone on speaker mode, and she and Crawford’s parents heard him die.

Good grief. Will this never end?

Wow.

I have a question though. It was a marine that called this in, right? I just went and looked at the gun. I don't know enough about them, does it look that much like a real weapon, that the marine was fooled?

I guess I don't see how he was a huge threat, leaning on it like it was a cane, while on the phone. Seems he could have been tackled, before he even knew it was coming.


Seriously, we need to do something about our police these days.

a reply to: loam

I would expect this to cause Wal-Mart to stop carrying products like this that cannot be distinguished from real firearms by police or ex-military. Some of these BB guns are very realistic. People ought to know better than to wander around the store carrying one, but once again we reach the impasse where cops gave commands and opened fire at the same time, plus in this case the victim was on the phone and not fully aware of the cops' presence. My opinion is this is a bit everyone's fault, but mainly the cops.

Maybe Wal-Mart should be sued for carrying fake weapons that look so real they cause innocent folks to get gunned down in the toy aisle. They should have pulled the tape up of his entrance. It would have taken 10 seconds to see that he did not enter with the weapon.

I would really love to see the video of this (not the death) so we could see what behavior he was exhibiting beforehand. I realize the attorney said that he didn't do anything, but to be fair he is their attorney. If the video showed the guy running around like mission impossible, ducking and rolling all over the place like it was real, I could almost understand why he was shot. Not shot to death but incapacitated. I do realize there are those that say that it is impossible to shoot to maim and that the cops are trained to shoot to kill if they have to shoot at someone. I can't comment on that as I am not an officer, but my emotional side wished that they would shoot to wound first whenever possible.

In a perfect world... but alas.

If the story is as the lawyer said then this cop should have been charged instead of being back on the job. Standing with your back to officers leaning on a toy gun in the toy aisle just doesn't deserve death IMO.

originally posted by: loam
Good grief. Will this never end?

Not until we demand that the PD all over the US are required to have badge cams or body cams to record their behavior. As a group, they have proven that they are not doing their jobs. Instead, they are on a crime spree across the nation. They are a self-regulating, government-supported gang of murderers. These cops clearly tried to cover what they KNEW was cold-blooded murder, by shouting, "Get on the ground" AFTER they had shot the victim.

And people wonder why we need more laws in some cases. THIS is why. We need to hold our cops accountable for their actions.

The family should sue wallmart for leaving a gun openly available. What if it were a child playing with the bb gun? Would they take him down too? Poor man. My sympathies for the family.a reply to: loam

a reply to: Benevolent Heretic

It seems like we should ban the cops carrying guns. Here lately they seem to not care enough about human life.

originally posted by: chiefsmom
I have a question though. It was a marine that called this in, right? I just went and looked at the gun. I don't know enough about them, does it look that much like a real weapon, that the marine was fooled?

The marine wasn't fooled. More likely, he is just a pig. He called it in and then watched the killing, saying it looked like the victim "was going to go violently". Standing, leaning on a toy gun, back turned, talking on the phone is "violent"? He's a lying pig.

a reply to: Urantia1111
Are you kidding me? You seriously want to lay blame at an innocent man leaning on a toy gun in the toy section talking on his cell phone with his back to police when he is shot and killed? Seriously?

a reply to: Benevolent Heretic

The marine wasn't fooled.

Sounds suspect. The story put 'some' focus on the caller. The caller has a great deal of responsibility in this.

ETA: Here's the guy's interview. Link

a reply to: Snarl
I agree with you Snarl. As a trained military man I would think he would have been able to read the man's body language if nothing else. I just dont see how he misinterpreted this man with a toy. My son is a Marine and I know the training they get is intense. Maybe at first glance he might have been taken off guard but assessing the situation I would think his training would have shown the man was no threat.

originally posted by: Urantia1111
a reply to: loam

I would expect this to cause Wal-Mart to stop carrying products like this that cannot be distinguished from real firearms by police or ex-military. Some of these BB guns are very realistic. People ought to know better than to wander around the store carrying one, but once again we reach the impasse where cops gave commands and opened fire at the same time, plus in this case the victim was on the phone and not fully aware of the cops' presence. My opinion is this is a bit everyone's fault, but mainly the cops.

So stop carrying a product because a very very minute percentage of people can't distinguish the authenticity of that product?

That's the problem in this country. The minority has more of an impact on legislation and or regulation than the MAJORITY who do not participate in the lunacy.

K-Mart banned handgun ammunition after columbine.

School shootings have really declined haven't they?

Holy #… how much of episodes like this will the American public take before it goes ape# on cops.

These are supposed to be professionals, not homicidal triggerhappy psychopaths!

originally posted by: Snarl
a reply to: Benevolent Heretic

The marine wasn't fooled.

Sounds suspect. The story put 'some' focus on the caller. The caller has a great deal of responsibility in this.

ETA: Here's the guy's interview. Link

So this guy is saying that the guy turned and pointed the gun at the officer leading to the officer shooting him. He also says that the guy tried to get up and come at the officer.

If that is the case, that may be why the officer is back on duty.

I am wondering why they couldn't just go into the loss prevention room and pull up the tape of his entrance to see if he came in with the weapon. That would have saved a life and a lot of trouble.

a reply to: loam

Come on guys.. I said this yesterday "EVERY DAMN DAY"
This might be the most ridiculous yet.
If this story is absolutely true with no extra information.. can we please protest. I am like 15 min from OHIO and i will be there with you.

This is just what the anti 2nd amendment movement wants.....including the government......
The more that people are shot and killed by police for such reasons....the less interest in owning a gun.

a reply to: 2manyholes

That's my take on it as well.

People are quick to call the cops ... and they have no idea how someone they've never met before is going to react to a stressful (potentially life-threatening) situation.

I don't know about you (if you watched the interview link above) ... but I got a real creepy feeling about that guy. He almost seemed like he was pleased with what he did.

a reply to: Snarl

I just watched your link, thanks for posting this.
Once again there is conflicting stories. One he was on the phone with his wife and this man saying he was waving the gun at people. I do wish the media would stop trying to race to front page honors and wait till all the facts are in. It really makes it hard for the public to know what the truth is.

a reply to: loam

THEY CARRY THE GUN IN THE STORE! SO IF YOU PICK IT UP TO TAKE IT TO THE CHECK OUT LINE YOU CAN BE MURDERED!

What group now appears to be the most irresponsible with firearms. How many clones of Barney Fife have been created? At least the original Fife only had one bullet.