Photo: Getty Images
A 23-year-old Black man "running for his life" was fatally shot in the back on Saturday (July 16) by police in California, security footage revealed.
On Monday (July 18), a video of Robert Adam's killing surfaced on social media prompting calls for justice against San Bernardino police, CBS News reports.
According to the San Bernardino Police Department, uniformed officers were investigating reports of an illegal gambling unit on Saturday night.
Security footage showed two officers driving an unmarked vehicle and parking near the gambling facility where Adams served as a security guard.
Adams can be seen approaching the parked vehicle when officers jumped out with their guns brandished.15 seconds after exiting their car, the San Bernardino officers opened fire against Adams as he was running away toward a nearby wall.
He was pronounced dead at the hospital.
Tamika King, the victim's mother, said she was on the phone with her son moments before the shooting when their call suddenly ended.
"It let me know that's why the phone hung up because they were killing my son," King said.
The San Bernardino Police Department said that officers were "fully uniformed and tried to give Adams verbal commands before he began to run."
Adams was carrying a gun while running away that was recovered at the scene, according to police. The police department also released a still image that appears to show Adams holding a handgun.
However, the family claimed that the officers who drove the unmarked car didn't identify themselves as police. Adams' family also refuted claims that the 23-year-old had a gun.
"I could understand if he was a threat to them," King said. "But he was not a threat to them. He was running for his life."
The department said it will issue more information about the incident soon.
"We are asking the community to please withhold their judgment on the situation until they have all the available facts and details," Chief Darren Goodman said in a statement.
The victim's family along with other activists are calling for justice against the officers who killed Adams.
"We want justice. We want his badge. We want his job," Adam's stepfather Audwin King said. We want murder charges."
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The Association of Black Psychologists 1-301-449-3082
The Anxiety and Depression Association of America 1-240-485-1001
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