By Kyle Schwab
The Oklahoman
MIDWEST CITY, Okla. — Dash cam video of a Midwest City police officer fatally shooting an 18-year-old man in October has been released by Oklahoma County District Attorney David Prater.
Prater, who found the shooting to be justified that same month, said he released the video this week because the man’s family continues to allege the officer is a murderer.
Police responded to a home burglary about 4 a.m. Oct. 5 which led to the officer, James Hill, chasing two men on foot. The chase ended in a parking lot at Rose State College when one of the men Hill was chasing hid behind a dumpster.
Hill ordered the man to show his hands. The man came out from behind the dumpster and pointed a loaded handgun at Hill, police reported.
The officer fired 10 rounds, hitting the man, Charles A. Pettit Jr., five times, police reported. Another officer with his dash cam recording arrived at the college parking lot as the shooting took place.
Pettit was held in intensive care at a hospital until he died Oct. 23. The officer was put on administrative leave after the shooting but later returned to work after Prater cleared him of any wrongdoing.
Pettit’s “family continues to post on Facebook to initiate violence against police officers,” Prater said Wednesday. “They allege Hill murdered their unarmed son. (Pettit) tried to murder officer Hill. Fortunately, officer Hill was able to defend himself.”
Prater said the video refutes that Pettit was unarmed. He said it shows Pettit point the gun toward Hill before the officer shot.
A Facebook profile believed to be for Pettit’s father appears to show photos of Pettit bandaged and in the hospital. Part of the post says, “We want the world to see what they did to our baby!”
Midwest City Police Chief Brandon Clabes said Hill acted courageously and did what he was trained to do.
“He had no choice but to use deadly force in counteracting Mr. Pettit’s threat,” Clabes said. “I’m sorry (Pettit) lost his life but if he’d made good decisions we wouldn’t even be having this conversation.”
The other man Hill chased has not been identified or caught.
Copyright 2016 The Oklahoman