Family of Black Man Who Died After Being Tased Finally Views Body Camera Footage

(CNN) — After months of fighting for access to the footage, the family of a Black man who tragically died after being tased by an Alabama police officer in July was finally able to view the body camera video from the incident on Wednesday.

During a news conference following the viewing, family attorney Harry Daniels expressed his shock at the video, stating, “This is one of the most horrifying police killings that I have ever witnessed. I would put it right up there with other cases across the nation, including the tragic death of George Floyd.”

Last week, a grand jury concluded that there was not enough evidence to indict the two police officers who were involved in the struggle with Jawan Dallas before his death, as reported by WPMI.

This case comes at a time when police use of force, particularly against people of color, remains a pressing issue nationwide, more than three years after George Floyd’s murder at the hands of a Minneapolis officer.

Jawan Dallas, aged 36, tragically lost his life after Mobile police officers responded to a report of a residential burglary in progress at a mobile home park, according to authorities. Upon arriving at the scene, the officers encountered two men. As they attempted to identify one of them, he tried to flee, resulting in a physical altercation with the officers.

The video footage, which has not been released publicly, revealed that Dallas’ encounter with the police began when two officers, investigating what Daniels described as “a trespass at best,” encountered Dallas and another individual.

The situation escalated when the officers requested identification from Dallas and the other man. Dallas claimed they had done nothing illegal, leading to a heated exchange. The attorney explained that Dallas was asked to step out of his vehicle, and when he complied, he attempted to run away. The officers tackled him to the ground, and a struggle ensued.

According to Daniels, Dallas was struck multiple times by the officers, and the sound of a taser could be heard in the video. “We heard almost 13 taser cycles. While we don’t know if those cycles actually struck his body, we know it was 13 times. We know he was begging for his life, telling the officers ‘I cannot breathe, help me…’ At one point, he even said, ‘I don’t want to be George Floyd,'” Daniels revealed.

Medical personnel were called to the scene, and Dallas was subsequently transported to a local hospital. Tragically, he was pronounced dead shortly after arrival.

During the news conference, Jawan Dallas’ father, Phil Williams, emotionally expressed his grief, stating, “Wednesday was one of the worst days of my life. I witnessed my son actually die, suffer, and plead for his life. His mom is destroyed. Not just today, but ever since July 2 when we received the news of our son being murdered. Mobile Police Department, you straight-up murdered my son.”

Williams accused the officers of holding Dallas down, repeatedly stunning him with a taser, and causing a heart attack. Emergency medical personnel attempted to provide aid to Dallas at the scene, but he never regained consciousness. The video footage indicated that Dallas died right there on the scene.

According to an autopsy report from the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences, Dallas had injuries consistent with Taser applications and some blunt force trauma injuries to his back, as reported by CNN affiliate WPMI.

The report stated that Dallas’ cause of death was cardiorespiratory failure due to acute myocardial ischemia and methamphetamine toxicity. The manner of death was listed as an accident.

As of now, the officers’ names have not been publicly released.

Daniels expressed his hope that the video would eventually be made available to the public. However, he cautioned, “If you ever see it, you’ll never forget it.”

Contributor: Olivia LaBorde (CNN)