D.C. police release bodycam footage showing fatal shooting of man, prompting calls for justice from community
Bodycam footage of D.C. police fatally shooting a 26-year-old man from Southeast D.C. was released Monday, prompting calls for justice from the community.
Justin Robinson was killed by two police officers on Sunday, Sept. 1 at approximately 5:30 a.m. in Southeast D.C. after authorities responded to a report of a crash, according to police reports.
Two bodycam videos and a "community briefing" explaining the shooting were published Monday evening by the Washington D.C. Metropolitan Police. The first two videos – approximately 20 minutes each – show the incident from two different police body cameras.
Footage shows armed police surrounding Robinson's car, which appears to have crashed into a McDonald's. Robinson was unresponsive when officers arrived, the police report says, and officers said they saw a firearm inside of his car.
"We got movement" one of the officers can be heard saying in the video, followed by "sir, keep your hand off the gun."
Officers approach the vehicle with their guns drawn, footage shows, one starts yelling repeatedly at Robinson to put his hands up. The officer then thrusts his gun into the window of the driver's seat threatening to shoot Robinson in the face. Robinson then appears to reach up towards the gun and the officer opens fire, shooting several rounds at Robinson.
Police said in a statement officers approached Robinson with their service weapons drawn and he grabbed one of the officer's guns.
Brandon Burrell, the family's attorney, confirmed to CBS News that Robinson "naturally attempted" to move the gun away and said in response police fired 10 bullets. He said police continued to fire even after they moved out of reach, "this was police brutality."
Robinson was a violence interrupter for Cure the Streets, a program run by the D.C. Office of the Attorney General "aimed at reducing gun violence," Burrell said. CBS News reached out to Cure the Streets but has not heard back.
"His family is devastated and grieving," Burrell said. "The community wants justice for Justin and that's what Justin deserves."
The release of the footage Monday night sparked outcry on social media and on the ground in the nation's Capital where people gathered to protest on Tuesday as documented by CBS affiliate WUSA9 and The Washington Post. Users shared the hashtag #Justiceforjustin on X to call attention to the shooting.
A statement from the Metropolitan Police Department posted on their website says seven people were arrested in the department's seventh district in southeast D.C. as of 12:30 a.m. Wednesday. Police said they continue to maintain a presence in the area "out of an abundance of caution." An MPD spokesperson did not clarify the status of the protests, how big the protests were, or if they are still ongoing when asked by CBS News.
Robinson's family reviewed the bodycam after he was killed and originally said they did not want the footage to be released, according to Chief Pamela Smith, who spoke Monday night at a press conference. Robinson's sister Tralicia told local CBS affiliate WUSA9 that they were reluctant because they found out the footage would be redacted.
Burrell reached out Saturday to inform police they would like the videos to be released, according to Smith. Police said that the shooting remains under investigation and the two officers involved have been placed on administrative leave.
Smith said Monday that MPD's internal affairs division will also conduct an administrative review of the incident to see if there were any violations of policy.