A federal civil rights investigation has been launched after police fatally shot Dalaneo Martin

A federal civil rights investigation is underway after US Park Police fatally shot and killed a black teenager last month in Washington, DC, and his family called on authorities on Wednesday to charge officers involved in the incident.

The investigation, which was announced after police released videos showing the March 18 shooting that led to the death of Dalaneo Martin, comes amid other high-profile cases across the country that have forced departments to reassess their interactions with black people.

“The loss of a life is always tragic but is especially heartbreaking when it involves a child,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office said in a statement. “On Saturday, March 18, 17-year-old Dalaneo Martin tragically died after a shooting involving United States Park Police, and we acknowledge that the body-worn camera footage that has just emerged of his death is extremely upsetting. We extend our condolences to Mr. Martin’s family and friends.

The statement continued: “In coordination with the FBI Field Office in Washington, the United States Attorney’s Office has initiated a civil rights investigation into the circumstances leading to Mr. Martin’s death. This investigation, which we undertake to conduct diligently and thoroughly, is ongoing. As this is an open case, we are unable to provide additional comment or release further information at this time.

At a press conference on Wednesday, attorney Andrew O. Clarke, who represents Martin’s family, called out the names of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and others before asking how long the black community will have to endure a disparate treatment by the police.

“Dalaneo didn’t have to die,” he said. “How long can they hide behind their badges to justify taking a life? How long will we as a community have to keep talking with our young black children because they are being treated differently by the police? … We will continue to pursue justice for Dalaneo with or without the assistance of the federal government or the District of Columbia.”

six shots

Martin’s mother, Terra Martin, also appeared at the press conference, demanding that the name of the officer who shot and killed her son be immediately released. She said she wanted all officers involved in her death to be criminally punished.

“I want him arrested. I want him to stop getting paid while he murdered my son and is still home with his family,” she said. “Time and time again I sit and try to make myself understood and I can’t. I don’t sleep. I don’t eat. And justice needs to be served.”

Terra Martin said she spoke to the medical examiner who said her son died after six shots were fired.

She said Martin was also a father.

“When he had his son, it changed his life,” she said. “He wanted to start doing things differently.”

Terra Martin added that no amount of justice would make her feel whole after losing Martin, the fifth of her 10 children, who was “still dancing”.

“No type of money will make me feel better. I need my son back,” she said.

The police account

Police said in an initial statement that a sergeant and a Park Police officer responded to a report of theft from a vehicle shortly before 9 a.m. on March 18.

“As officers attempted to arrest the driver, the car fled the scene with a USPP officer inside the car. A second officer, USPP Sergeant, was dragged by the fleeing car from outside the vehicle,” police said. “The USPP officer inside the car gave verbal orders to the driver to stop. After the driver failed to comply, the USPP officer discharged his firearm. A man was pronounced dead at the scene. A firearm was recovered from inside the vehicle.

The two officers were taken to hospital for treatment. Their names and terms were not disclosed.

The officers are on paid administrative leave during the investigation, which is standard procedure.

The police union which represents police officers was not immediately available for comment.

Videos

On Tuesday, police released two body camera videos from the perspective of the officers involved, a 12-minute explainer video and footage of officers providing medical aid to the driver before emergency medical personnel arrived. One of the two body cam videos is around 37 minutes long and the other around 29 minutes. Agent faces are blanked out and some audio is muted.

In the explainer video, Park Police said the Metropolitan Police Department responded to a suspicious vehicle. The SUV was running and a driver was sleeping in it. Metropolitan Police learned the SUV had been stolen, Park Police said.

That’s when the park police helped.

Video shows officers from both departments strategizing how to get into the car without waking the person in the driver’s seat and putting themselves in danger of potentially fleeing the vehicle.

A Metropolitan Police officer can be heard in the video talking to Park Police. “Please don’t get caught inside,” the officer says in the clip, adding “don’t get in that car.”

One of the body camera videos shows an officer opening the driver’s side rear door. Orders of “police, do not move” are heard. Several “don’t move” commands are then spoken, according to the video.

Additional footage shows an officer appearing to struggle with the driver, who then begins to accelerate while the officer is in the back seat.

“Stop it, man. Let me out,” the officer said, according to the video. “Stop, stop or I shoot.”

The officer then fired several shots at the driver from the back seat before a loud crash sound was heard, according to the video. The SUV drove into a home after the shooting, park police said.

Investigators recovered a firearm from inside the vehicle, the agency said.

Park police said in a statement that the videos were “intended to help members of the community better understand what happened.”

“This incident is still under investigation and all statements in this briefing are based on details known to us at this point. We are committed to being transparent with our community, and our priority is to release this information and to notify our community as soon as possible,” police said.