New Surveillance Video of NYPD Officers Shooting at Black Teen Raises Questions

New surveillance video shows that a black teenager was surrendering to police when they shot at him 16 times in 2013, according to his lawyers.

According to the New York Daily News, Keston Charles has been accused of “grabbing a BB gun from a friend during a fight with rivals from the neighborhood — and of pointing the weapon at another boy” during the 2013 incident.

Two New York City police officers witnessed the fight and began to chase Charles. He ran away, ultimately surrendering outside his apartment building and placing his hands on his head, the Daily News reported. He was shot three times.

“I put up my hands, they was still shooting,” Charles said in a sworn deposition, the newspaper added.

During his deposition, Charles said he didn’t drop the BB gun while he ran “because I was scared for my life.”

“I was trying to get away,” he said. “I never been shot at before.”

Elissa Jacobs, a lawyer for the city, argued in court papers that police officer Jonathan Rivera fired at Charles because he turned toward the officers several times during the foot chase and he “did not put his hands up to surrender before any round of shots.”

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