WASHINGTON — Serena Hargraves is demanding answers after the release of the footage captured by body camera worn by the D.C. police officer that killed her brother Kevin Hargraves-Shird.
"That officer pointed his gun out way before he got to the scene, he had his gun in his hand, he had an intent to kill," Serena said to WUSA9 following a press event held by Mayor Muriel Bowser and Police Chief Robert Contee.
Hargraves was able to review the material prior to the release to the public and she says she has returned to the scene of the shooting to get testimonies from the neighbors that witnessed the incident on Saturday afternoon.
"They shot him in the back of the head, here," Hargraves said pointing to the back of her right ear. "He was no threat, there was no engagement."
The video shows officer Ronaldo Camacho inside his patrol car following what police say is a white sedan connected to an earlier shoot out that happened before 4:15 p.m. on Saturday. A preliminary investigation found that two dark-colored vehicles were headed northbound on Georgia Avenue Northwest when they opened fire on a group of people who were walking on Longfellow Street Northwest.
The individuals then returned fire, according to police. During the Friday press conference, Chief Contee said that when officers responded to the report of a shooting, they found two boys, aged 17 and 15, suffering from gunshot wounds in a nearby Auto Zone parking lot.
Officers were told by witnesses that a suspect was still in the alley. The suspect allegedly ran away and jumped into a white sedan with several other people. In an effort to evade police, the sedan struck a curb near a neighborhood park, captured by nearby home surveillance video.
Three individuals are seen running out, seconds later, the driver, identified as Hargraves-Shird exits and flees.
Officer Ronaldo Camacho is seen grabbing his gun inside the vehicle, yelling 'gun' five times and then shooting the 31-year-old father from Southeast D.C.
Investigators say Hargraves-Shird was shot in the back of the right ear.
Nearly a week after the shooting, MPD released the footage from cameras worn by officers during the incident, but the videos do not provide a full picture of what really happened.
"There are questions whether that's justified or unjustified, we're nowhere near being able to make that determination at this point" the D.C. police chief said.
Contee says the video does not provide a concise answer whether Hargraves-Shird was holding or pointing a weapon, and if he was running away from the officer before he was shot. Investigators say a weapon was recovered next to the man's body.
The group Harriet's Wildest Dreams held a protest outside the Wilson Building following the release of the video. They are demanding that additional footage be made public so that a clearer perspective can provided.
Serena says her family has not been able to mourn as they search for more answers. The sister's main objective she says is for Camacho to face criminal charges and for him to be arrested.
Camacho, a 17-year veteran of the department, remains on administrative leave while the U.S. Attorney's Office conducts an investigation on top of the internal review carried out by DC Police.
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