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BALTIMORE (Map, News) - The family of a 23-year-old man fatally shot by a city police officer demanded Friday that the police provide more information about the shooting.
Police have refused to provide the police report or other information about the Dec. 4 shooting of Coby Brown Fells Point, family members said.
“We want to know why it happened, how it happened and if it had to happen,” said Thomas K. Smith, Brown’s stepfather.
“We really want to see the police report and learn if there was anything that could be done to prevent it.”
The Uhuru movement, a black activist organization, joined Brown at a news conference at the site of the shooting to call for more information.
“We want to know why the officer that shot Colby was the third on the scene,” said Nnamandi Lumumba, a member of Uhuru Movement.
“If the other officer had the situation under control, why did the third officer on the scene shoot Coby?”
The shooting occurred after an evening armed robbery of point Burger King on Eastern Avenue.
Officers responding on foot chased Brown after he was spotted in the vicinity and identified as a suspect, police said.
“The third officer was in a car, the other two officers on foot,” said Sterling Clifford, spokesman for the Baltimore Police Department. “The third officer was able to catch up with the suspect faster.”
Clifford said the officer had no choice but to shoot Brown because the suspect pointed a gun at him.
“It’s simple: If you point a gun at an officer, you give him no other options,” Clifford said.
Police said Brown had the money stolen from the Burger King.
Lumumba said the number of police shootings this year — 32, including 13 fatalities — raises questions about the use of force. Last year, police shot 15 suspects, killing five.
“If you are black in this town, you are treated like suspect,” Lumumba said.
He demanded an investigation into the past relationship between Brown and the officer who shot him. “We heard they a past history of negative encounters,” he said, citing sources in the neighborhood where the shooting occurred.
Clifford said department policy prohibited releasing police reports until 30 days after the incident.
sjanis@baltimoreexaminer.com
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12:30 PM MST on Sat., Dec. 15, 2007 re: "Family: Police withhold information on officer killing suspect"
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6:16 AM MST on Sat., Dec. 15, 2007
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Examiner Reader said:
I like how Lumumba say's "if you are black in this town you are already a suspect". Well lets see, Baltimore city has a higher black population then any other race. If the city's population were more white, Hispanic or Asian then that race would be the front runner in crime. Race has nothing to do with it. What about the white couple that was pulled off a Baltimore City bus and beaten by nine black men. You don’t see a rally or protest being done on their behalf even though it caught no media attention like this incident has. The suspect in this story had money from burger king, a gun and pointed it at the cop. HELLO where is the problem!!!!!!!
93 agree | 108 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Hey Undertaker, you sound like an idiot. No Police Officer ever wants to shoot someone. The Suspect is the one who makes the choice if he should be shot, not the Police. i am just very happy that all the Police got to go home safe to there loved one! Get a clue
120 agree | 96 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Let me get this straight. He robs a Burger King with a gun, points that same gun at a Police Officer and the Officer shoots him! Hmmmm, what's the question again? Well, the answer is another felon his been removed from the gene pool. If this felon would point a gun at a Cop, what do you think he'd do to your average citizen. This felons family and whatever this balloon headed organization is sounds just as dumb as he was. Wake up Baltimore these type of people will kill you. Thank God for the Police!!!
108 agree | 93 disagree
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The Undertaker said:
I don't know the facts of this case. But I can say that if you want to murder people and get away with it your best bet is to become a police officer.
105 agree | 114 disagree
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