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December 5, 2014

Phoenix Police Fatally Shoot Unarmed Black Man After Mistaking Pill Bottle for Gun 
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Amidst the nationwide uproar over the Eric Garner decision, another case
has come to light in Phoenix, Arizona, where a white police officer
killed an unarmed black man. Phoenix police say the officer — who
has not been named — feared that Rumain Brisbon had a gun because
he felt something in his pocket, which turned out to be a pill bottle.
The police say they suspected Brisbon of involvement in a drug deal and
shot him after he fled into an apartment. But protesters say Brisbon was
delivering dinner to his children. He is a father of four. Marci Kratter
is an attorney for Brisbon's family.

Marci Kratter: We need to take a deeper dive into why police officers
are feeling compelled to shoot and kill as opposed to apprehend and
detain, arrest and jail."

 

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