Graphic Video Shows Huntington Beach Police Officer Shooting Man Several Times
A video that shows a California man being shot to death by a Huntington Beach police officer has been doing rounds on social media since the incident took place on Sept. 22. The man shot in the video was identified Monday as Dillan Tabares, 27, a Navy veteran. He suffered from mental health issues, according to his family members, who are now calling for an explanation regarding why their loved one was killed.
Tabares was shot and killed outside a 7-Eleven store in Huntington Beach on Friday around 9:30 a.m. EDT, reports said. The bystanders recorded the video of the struggle between the officer and the man and the officer shooting him seven times as he staggered about and collapsed against a wall. The graphic videos of the incident were later posted on social media.
However, subsequently, other footages emerged on the social media showing the officer trying to use a taser to subdue Tabares initially as he was rushing towards the officer. Tabares can also be seen punching the officer several times until he finally appears to grab Tabares in a headlock and they wrestle to the ground.
The videos that came up initially also showed Tabares trying to grab something from the officer's belt before the gunfire. Witnesses told New York Daily News on Monday that Tabares grabbed a "magazine clip" and not a weapon.
Here is the entire video of the incident.
"When Dillan saw that gun pointed at him. He paused. He stopped. He touched his hair. There was not any aggression in that moment," his brother Brandon Tabares told NY Daily News on Monday.
Tabares' mother Tiffany Tabares told KCBS, affiliated to CBS Radio Network, that despite her son punching the officer, she thought “mistakes were made” in the way the police officer dealt with her son. “I don’t think my kid needed to be shot seven times,” she said.
Councilman Patrick Brenden in Huntington Beach said the entire video of the incident showed the officer was justified in what actions he took at that point, according to Los Angeles Times. “It’s a tragedy,” Brenden said. “It was clear from the video this individual was very aggressive and escalated it.”
Mayor Barbara Delgleize, however, said she wouldn't draw a conclusion and would wait until the end of the investigation. The Orange County Sheriff’s Department is in charge of investigating the case. She added the longer video showing the entire incident shows Tabares aggressively approaching the officer and initiating a fight.
In a statement, posted on Facebook on Friday, Delgleize urged the community to not judge the incident until the investigation was complete. “Until the investigation is concluded and all facts are made known, speculation serves no purpose and does a disservice to all who were involved,” the statement read, the Los Angeles Times reported. “I ask that everyone show compassion for all involved parties. … As more information is revealed, we will make sure that the public is informed and whatever action is appropriate will be taken."
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