Update: Man’s name now known.
xRest in power, Mario Woods. Killed by #SFPD firing squad in the Bayview yesterday.
— Nicole Deane (@sassmasterdeane) December 3, 2015This execution took place earlier today (Wednesday, Dec 2nd) in the Bayview District of San Francisco. The video was originally posted to Instagram by “daniggahot” and through a succession of tweets made its way to Shaun King who, as far as I know, was the first to embed the video in a tweet, that which you can view below.
xOh my God. Who is this brother? I am told this is in San Francisco earlier today. pic.twitter.com/0fvUYx0rAG
— Shaun King (@ShaunKing) December 3, 2015The man is alleged to have had a knife. Why a lone man with what must have been a small knife (it is hardly visible, if at all, in the video) would require a large number of police all intent on gunning him down is unanswered. San Francisco police claim to have fired less-lethal weapons at him but how multiple police firing less-lethals could not manage to subdue a single individual is bizarre.
xSFPD confirm man with knife shot and killed by police in SF. Chief Suhr said they have witness video but could not confirm Instagram post
— Michael Barba (@mdbarba) December 3, 2015 xSFPD Chief Suhr says they fired beanbags at man with knife and other less-lethal at ground before fatal shooting in Bayview
— Michael Barba (@mdbarba) December 3, 2015The man, as yet unidentified, is confirmed dead here.
xUpdate: SF Chief Suhr confirmed that the man in the video has died. He says the man had a knife.
— Kate Conger (@kateconger) December 3, 2015 xNo cop in #sfbayview OIS was threatened. Only an icompetent would fear for life backed up by 4 loaded, cocked guns aimed at guy with a knife
— Jaime Omar Yassin (@hyphy_republic) December 3, 2015When someone has a knife, there would seem to be a simple strategy to employ that police seem unwilling to even consider: walk away. Instead of approaching, walk back. Put distance between you and the person wielding the knife, and then try to de-escalate. Unless there are people the person is trying to stab, there is generally no immediate danger to a man holding a knife at ten or twenty yards — am I right?
xSF Public Defender @JeffAdachi: "It does seem that that person was not posing a direct threat and certainly didn’t have to be shot."
— Kate Conger (@kateconger) December 3, 2015Instead we have another young black man dead at the hands and hail of bullets of police terror. This is the second “officer-involved shooting” in San Francisco this month.
#BlackLivesMatter🙏🏽I jus seen dis today it was crazy man pic.twitter.com/...
— Bigbosspac2L (@pacobaco_) December 3, 2015UPDATE: Just saw another video of the execution, from the opposite side.
WARNING: OFFENSIVE LANGUAGE.
x#BlackLivesMatter🙏🏽I jus seen dis today it was crazy man pic.twitter.com/2htARQj3gN
— Bigbosspac2L (@pacobaco_) December 3, 2015