Dashcam video and audio released by the Bridgeton Police Department show the shooting death of a New Jersey father at the hands of police officers.
The shooting of Jerame Reid in the days leading up to the New Year has sparked more protests and national conversations about the force used by police officers. The officers involved, Braheme Days and Roger Worley, were placed on administrative leave pending an investigation.
In the disturbing video, Days and Worley pull Reid and his friend (the driver of the Jaguar) over for running a stop sign. Days can be heard warning his partner that he spotted a gun in the glove compartment when they approach the car. The situation escalates immediately.
Days screams at Reid several times to “show me your hands.” At one point Officer Days, who is black, can be heard saying, “don’t move,” and “If you reach for something, you’re going to be f—— dead!” Days can be seen reaching in the car and pulling out a silver object.
Reid disregards Days’ orders, stepping out of the vehicle with his hands raised. Both Days and Worley, who is white, discharged their weapons. At least nine shots can be heard between the two of them. Worley pulls the driver of the vehicle, identified as 46-year-old Leroy Tutt, out and handcuffs him. Bystanders in the neighborhood can be heard screaming and yelling at the police officers.
The video was made public Tuesday after an Open Public Records Request made by the South Jersey Times.
Capt. Michael Gaimari, of the Bridgeton Police Department, issued a news release Tuesday afternoon saying, “The Bridgeton Police Department as a law enforcement agency does not, as a routine, consider the posting of any such video as compassionate or professional.”
“In absence of the OPRA request this video would not be released to the public out of respect for the family of Jerame Reid, basic human dignity and to protect the constitutional rights of all those involved,” Gaimari said.
Medical examiners performed an autopsy on Reid the next day, but the results have not been made public. Authorities are mum on details, but the Cumberland County Prosecutor’s Office did say, however, that “during the course of the stop a handgun was revealed and later recovered.”
In a twisted turn of events, the police officer who shot Reid arrested him just months ago, according to NJ.com.
Reid previously spent about 13 years in state prison for shooting at three New Jersey State Police troopers when he was a teenager. Reid was also arrested this summer on charges of obstruction, resisting arrest, possession of narcotics and failure to appear in Millville Municipal Court. Authorities said Days was one of the arresting officers at the time.
An investigation continues.
SOURCE: NJ | VIDEO SOURCE: News Inc.
