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The police are under a lot of scrutiny in the St. Louis area.
With the legacy of Mike Brown and the uprising that occurred in Ferguson not too far removed, people are still on edge - and that’s one reason the recent killing of Terry Tillman has many asking, “What really happened?”
Tillman was shot by a Richmond Heights, Missouri police officer when someone reported that a man was “potentially armed.” After an officer tried to make contact with Tillman and he ran, the police say he raised his gun at them. That’s when he was shot 3 to 5 times, according to reports.
People are protesting because, as usual with these sorts of incidents that happen way too often at Black people’s expense, police are being quiet.
The family is demanding footage and evidence of what police claim occurred. And many feel their suspicions are justified by area police’s racist history.
Some people have even suggested that the police planted a gun after a video emerged of an officer carrying a gun with rubber gloves. Authorities say it was his weapon and pointed out that he’d posted with it on social media, but many are still demanding transparency.
What happened to Terry Tillman is still unfolding, but it’s clear that a lot of people don’t believe anything the police are saying. As more information emerges, many wonder if the situation could’ve been handled differently.
After all, Terry was put to death and he never even made it to trial.