Photo: Getty Images
Louisiana State Police have released video of the fatal shooting of Derrick Kittling, a 45-year-old unarmed Black man, that occurred during a traffic stop earlier this month, per HuffPost.
During a press conference on Sunday (November 20), officials released Rapides Parish Sheriff's Deputy Rodney Anderson's body-worn camera footage and footage recorded by a bystander at the traffic stop in Alexandria, where Kittling was ultimately killed on November 6.
In the video, Kittling steps outside of his vehicle after being stopped by Anderson.
The deputy then orders him to "stay right there" and to walk toward his truck, which Kittling is already standing beside after exiting the vehicle on the driver's side, per the video.
Anderson doesn't answer Kittling when asked why he is being stopped. Throughout the video, the deputy is never heard giving a reason behind the stop.
Anderson again tells Kittling to walk to his truck, according to the video. As Kittling remains beside his vehicle and appears to be confused, Anderson steps out of the patrol vehicle. The 45-year-old man follows another directive to walk to the back of his pickup truck, but Anderson grabs his left arm.
“What’s the issue?” Kittling asks Anderson in the video.
Anderson then claims Kittling isn’t following orders and tells him to turn and face the truck.
“What I did? What is wrong with you? While are you grabbing on me, man? Why are you grabbing on me, bruh?” Kittling asks Anderson, appearing to still be confused.
The deputy directs Kittling to put his hands behind his back several times before a struggle ensues between the two.
Video shows Anderson firing a taser at Kittling. Kittling is seen trying to block the stun gun before they both end up in a struggle on the ground.
In the video, Kittling appears to grab the taser, which also fell on the ground. The struggle continues for about a minute before the deputy opens fire.
“Shots fired, shots fired,” Anderson says, per the video
During Sunday's press conference, Col. Lamar Davis, head of the Louisiana State Police, said Kittling was stopped for a window tint violation and having a modified exhaust. Police didn't indicate whether Anderson violated department policy when asked by reporters on Sunday.
“We are also gathering that information with regards to their protocols, their policies, their training, and so forth. And we will be able to better determine that information once we receive that,” Davis said at the press conference.
Davis also noted that the agency hasn't determined whether Kittling was tased or if the taser ever struck Anderson during the struggle.
“We can’t say for certain that he was actually tased or whether the officer was tased. There is a lot that goes into researching this," Davis said.
The Nov. 6 incident sparked outrage and protests in Alexandria, a predominantly Black city.
“That sheriff’s department under the current Sheriff Mark Woods has a plethora of problems when it deals with African Americans,” Rev. Randy Harris, an organizer and protester, told HuffPost. “It’s tragic with what happened to Derrick, but unfortunately it is more than likely to happen again. I have zero faith in the sheriff’s department.”
The victim's family has retained civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump to represent them, HuffPost reports.
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