Did the D.C. police officer who shot 31-year-old Terrence Sterling to death call a union representative or an ambulance first? That's one of the questions lawyers said Sterling's family wants answered.
Thursday, the family of Terrence Sterling stood behind its lawyers as it asked posed these questions and more.
It was around 4:30 a.m. on Sept. 11, when D.C. Police said Sterling intentionally drove his motorcycle into the door of a police cruiser. Then, 27-year-old Officer Brian Trainer fatally shot Sterling. It was then that Trainer turned on his body camera, after firing the fatal shots, against police policy.
Attorney Jason Downs said the family has seen additional video that the public hasn't.
"The unreleased portions of the body camera footage shows a police union representative arriving on the scene to protect Officer Trainer and the family and the community wants to know who did these officers call first?” the attorney said. “Did they call an ambulance to protect an innocent civilian or did they call a police union representative to help Officer Trainer get his story straight?"
The Office of Unified Communications which handles 911 calls, said they've been told by the mayor's office to direct all reporters to them. So has the Metropolitan Police Department.
A witness shared cell phone video with WUSA9 and said Sterling couldn't help running into the cruiser because the officers used it as a barricade.
Downs said more video could help clear up all these discrepancies.
"Did Officer Trainer's partner activate his body camera? What about the homeland security camera at Third and M Streets? Is there any satellite footage as we know national security requires our nation's capital to be fully protected at all times, especially on Sept. 11," Downs said.
Homeland Security confirmed a camera does exist at this intersection, but they said the footage is erased every 10 days.
The mayor's office confirmed there is additional video, but its policy is to only release video that they have up until the time emergency medical personnel arrive on the scene.
An ambulance was called and arrived on the scene within two minutes, the mayor’s office said.
In addition, the mayor’s office said it is likely that one of the responding officers who arrived on scene could be a member of the union.
