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Why has the death of Daniel Shaver largely been ignored?
Body cam video shows the incident that led Mesa Police Officer Philip Brailsford to shoot Daniel Shaver. (Image source: Los Angeles Times video screenshot)

Why has the death of Daniel Shaver largely been ignored?

On Saturday, Johnathan Dunne from "Freedom's Disciple" discussed the need to take a serious look at police brutality. Daniel Shaver was a pest control worker who stopped by La Quinta Inn in Mesa, Arizona, between a  shift last January and was killed by police.

He met some employees from the hotel while on an elevator and invited them to his room for a few drinks. They became intoxicated and were curious about a black briefcase Daniel had in his room. It was a pellet gun he used for his job when birds managed to make their way into businesses. Two guests down below in a hot tub saw Shaver showing off his pellet gun and thought it was a rifle. They immediately called 911.

Six police officers stormed the fifth floor where Shaver's room was located and ordered the confused 26-year old to exit his room. Shaver complied with police officers but was shot and killed by Officer Philip Brailsford. The instructions coming from the officers were confusing and ultimately led to Shaver's death. Brailsford was later acquitted of second-degree murder. The graphic body camera footage that was released showed the officers giving confusing instructions to a compliant Shaver before he was killed.

Connor Friedersdorf of the Atlantic perfectly summates that the case has been largely ignored "because the cop and the dead man were both white, rendering the killing less controversial than one possibly animated by racism."

Tune in above to hear Johnathan's thoughts on Shaver's death and police brutality.

Listen to more episodes of “Freedom’s Disciple” with Jonathon Dunne on-demand and every Saturday at noon ET at TheBlaze Contributors.

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