WASHINGTON — Baltimore police released video footage Friday of an officer fatally shooting an unarmed black teen who they said tried to flee and pretended to draw a weapon after he was caught forging a prescription for narcotic cough syrup.
The release comes amid a time of heightened scrutiny of police violence, particularly toward people of color, in the wake of numerous high-profile killings of unarmed black men in the past year.
The shooting occurred on Wednesday around 5 p.m. in Reisterstown, Maryland, some 25 miles northwest of Baltimore, Baltimore County Police said in a statement.
Police said Officer Earomirski, whose first name was not released due to police union rules, fatally shot Keith McLeod, 19, after he allegedly tried to obtain a prescription for Promethazine plus Codeine illegally at a pharmacy.
The 50-second clip, captured by a nearby surveillance camera and released by police, shows Earomirski rush toward McLeod with his gun drawn before backing up.
McLeod can then be seen approaching Earomirski with one arm on the small of his back before he whips his hand to the front of his body and is shot by the officer.
The video then shows Earomirski pounce on McLeod, who continues struggling on the ground for several seconds before going still. Earomirski holsters his handgun and the clip ends.
Police said witnesses told detectives they heard the officer repeatedly commanding the suspect to stop and heard the teen shouting profanities at the officer.
The state medical examiner said McLeod was shot three times and police said three shots were fired. No weapon was found on McLeod, police said.
The Baltimore chapter of the NAACP requested the video’s release early Friday. Baltimore County Police Chief Jim Johnson released it after it was reviewed by the Baltimore County state’s attorney.
Earomirski has been placed on administrative leave, police said.