The officer who shot and killed Vonderrit Myers has been identified as Jason H. Flanery.
According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, an envelope with the officer’s name was seen with evidence connected to the incident in October. Police haven’t responded to reports but Myers’s family lawyer, Jermaine Wooten confirmed the findings:
Brian Millikan, the lawyer representing the officer involved in the shooting, would not confirm or deny the name provided by Wooten — Jason H. Flanery — but the Post-Dispatch verified it independently.
Wooten said that photos on an Instagram site, showing Flanery’s Marine, police and SWAT training, belie the claim that Myers pulled a gun and fired three shots before the officer could respond.
The lawyer said the Myers family released the name out of frustration that the department did not, and in hopes of hearing from others who may have had negative encounters with Flanery.
Wooten also pointed out Flanery’s disturbing online posts, bashing President Obama and making racist statements towards African-Americans:
Wooten noted online posts attributed to Flanery that call President Barack Obama “Nobama” and say that in a speech by Michelle Obama, “She looks drunk, high, and dumb as hell.” The lawyer said repeated disparaging remarks about blacks in Flanery’s postings reflected a “strong negatively biased view of African-Americans.”
He also cited Flanery’s online criticism of liberals and homosexuality. The lawyer complained that “right-wing conservatives” have not traditionally been “the friendliest” to people such as Myers.
More details unveiled that Flanery is a strong supporter of guns, with some comments strongly suggesting he would be prepared to defend himself against someone with a gun:
Flanery, 32, on the force for six years, also posted comments on videos of police actions, including a shooting in New York. One comment: “And the moral of the story is … if you shoot at men with guns they are going to shoot you back. And probably a lot.”
Wooten said, “That says to me, if someone has a gun … he is going to continue to fire shots at that person until he is dead. Meaning if you fire one shot at me, I’ll fire 100 at you.”
Vonderrit Myers was shot six times by the alleged officer on October 8 when he spotted the 18-year-old presumably holding his hand on his waist. The officer shot at the teen, resulting in his death. An autopsy revealed that out of the 16 shots fired, Myers was shot eight times, six times in the back.
SOURCE: St. Louis Post-Dispatch | PHOTO CREDIT: Handout
