By Dana Rieck
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. — The video reveals Darius Kennedy leaning towards the doorway to the lavatory in Terminal 1 at Lambert International Airport. Several officers are closing in on him.
The 31-year-old slides a kitchen knife from his sleeve.
“I’m not leaving,” Kennedy says.
Then he runs towards the officers.
On Friday, a few month-and-a-half later, St. Louis County police launched about three minutes of surveillance and police body-camera footage exhibiting, for the primary time, how Kennedy was shot and killed by an officer on Nov. 21. It reveals Kennedy pulling out a knife and working at officers, one officer firing, one other tasing Kennedy — then officers pistol-whip him, tase him and cuff him as he continues to wrestle.
The whole interplay takes lower than 90 seconds.
Airport police requested St. Louis County detectives to analyze.
The investigation has not concluded, but it surely’s division coverage to launch related footage inside 45 days to assist the general public higher perceive officer-involved incidents.
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Police stated Kennedy was homeless, and apparently entered the terminal close to the MetroLink platform to make use of a restroom on the higher degree, authorities stated. TSA safety checkpoints are on the decrease degree.
The footage begins at about 12:40 a.m.
Kennedy, in a black jacket, denims and white sneakers, is leaning towards the lavatory’s entrance when at the very least 4 officers strategy him, it reveals.
The officer there first says, “Let’s go, bud.”
Kennedy says he can’t go away. After a small forwards and backwards, the cops ask what Kennedy means.
“If I leave, they’re going to kill me,” Kennedy says because the police proceed to get nearer.
One of the officers asks Kennedy to repeat himself.
“If I leave, I’m gonna get killed,” Kennedy says, then slides a Farberware kitchen knife from his sleeve.
The officers proceed to shut in on Kennedy.
“You’re gonna get killed?” one asks.
“I can’t leave,” Kennedy says.
“Hey, bruh,” an officer says, drawing his gun.
“I’m not leaving,” Kennedy says, turning his again to the officers and elevating his fingers — with the knife in considered one of them.
Then a number of officers yell, “Drop the knife!”
Kennedy lowers his arms, turns towards the officers, and begins to run.
At first, it seems he’s attempting to run away.
But then a number of issues occur without delay:
One officer tases Kennedy. Another reveals up within the empty hallway in entrance of Kennedy. Kennedy turns, working towards a unique officer. Then that officer fires his gun 4 occasions.
“Mother … son of a,” says the cop who shot him.
The officer who tased Kennedy drops the taser and pulls his gun out as he walks to Kennedy. He pushes the barrel of the gun to Kennedy’s head.
“Put your hands up now,” he says. “I’ll blow your (expletive) head off.”
Kennedy tries to tug himself right into a sitting place, and the cop with the gun to Kennedy’s head pistol whips him.
The officer who fired the pictures radios for EMS. Then he calls to his fellow officers, who’re dragging Kennedy on the bottom by his arm, attempting to cuff him. Kennedy is acutely aware and transferring.
“Hey, hey, hey,” the officer who fired the pictures says to his colleagues.
“Put your hands behind your back,” an officer within the wrestle says.
“Do it,” Kennedy replies.
The officer repeats his command.
“Kill me,” Kennedy says.
The officer then picks up his taser and tases Kennedy for a number of seconds till he lies immobile face down. The officers end cuffing him.
Kennedy was pronounced lifeless on the scene.
Police additionally launched a photograph of what they stated was Kennedy’s knife. Most of the blade had been damaged off.
No officers had been injured.
The officer who shot Kennedy is 43 with two years of expertise, police stated. The officer who used his taser is 39 with 12 years of expertise in regulation enforcement.
Police stated they may ahead their remaining stories to the St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office for overview.
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