Article
and Video Courtesy of FOX NEWS
Published
December 14, 2017
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The Broward County Sheriff’s Office released the
footage of Jean Pedro Pierre, 42, hitting and dragging Deputy Sean
Youngward, 48, at a condominium complex in Lauderdale Lakes on
Wednesday, the Miami Herald reported.
The department
said it released the footage on Friday to quash rumors
circulating on social media regarding the shooting. Some
social media users accused of officer of executing an
unarmed man – but Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel
said the video show what actually happened.
“What you see on video is not the end all, but what you
see on video is indisputable,” Israel said, according to
the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. “The public cannot say
that this person was executed. ... And I think it’s
critically important to the Broward County citizen to
see what actually happened so that rumor, innuendo and
violence will not start.” |
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The deputies were called to the condominium complex
regarding a disturbance report, WISHTV reported.
The video showed Pierre chasing Youngward down the hallway of a
condominium in Lauderdale Lakes while hitting him. Youngward and Pierre
arrive in the front of the building, where the deputy appeared to pull
out a weapon and point it at the suspect.
Pierre walked toward
the cop and punched him, causing him to fall to the ground.
While Youngward was on the ground, Pierre hits him and
grabbed his legs. The suspect drags Youngward, who attempted
to tase and hit him with his baton.
“Settle down,” Youngward said. “You tell me what’s wrong
here. Just tell me, what is wrong?”
Another officer, Deputy Steven Briggs, approached Pierre
after being called for backup. Pierre continued to drag
Youngward while kicking him. Briggs tried to tase Pierre but
was unsuccessful.
“Tase him, tase him; don’t shoot him,” someone in the video
was heard saying. |
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“Let it go, bro. They’re going to shoot you, man,” another person was
heard yelling in the video.
Pierre stopped to approach Briggs who shot him three times. The suspect
was transported to the hospital, where he died.
“Youngward tried to stop the violent attack by deploying his Taser and
using his ASP (extending baton). Neither form of less-lethal force
stopped Pierre from assaulting him,” the sheriff’s office said in a
statement.
“(Deputy) Briggs ordered Pierre to stop,” the office continued.
“Instead, Pierre charged at (Deputy) Briggs and several shots were
fired. Pierre was not armed.”
Pierre’s family told CBS Miami the family “was devastated.”
“I know my dad didn’t mean it,” Pierre’s daughter, Shania, told CBS
Miami. “He didn’t mean it at all. My dad, he had a mental health issue
that nobody knew about and I wish the police knew about it before
killing him.”
Both deputies are on leave while shooting is being investigated, as per
protocol.
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