Oklahoma Officer Charged with Manslaughter After Shooting a Homeless Black Man In the Back Three Times as He Ran Away
An Oklahoma City officer has been charged with first-degree manslaughter in the December shooting death of a homeless Black man.
The shooting happened last year on Dec. 11 in the 2100 block of West Hefner Road in Oklahoma City.
Bennie Edwards, a 60-year-old homeless man, died after Sgt. Clifford Holman, 36, shot him in the back multiple times as he ran away.
Bennie Edwards, a 60-year-old homeless man, died after Sgt. Clifford Holman, 36, shot him in the back multiple times as he ran away. (Photo: The Oklahoman/YouTube screenshot)
(Getty Images)
The court documents filed on Thursday, February 25, state that the officers responded to a report of a man “bothering customers”. Sgt. Keith Duroy was the first one to arrive on the scene and tried speaking with Edwards. The authorities noted that Edwards “opened up a folding knife” he had in his right hand and told the officer to leave. Duroy sought assistance from additional units, including a unit with a Taser.
Sgt. Holman, who is a certified Taser operator, arrived on the scene. The court documents state that when Edwards continued to tell officers to leave, Holman reportedly deployed his Taser at Edwards on “two separate occasions with no effect.” Edwards is also said to have been sprayed with OC gas.
Community leaders and police administration gathered for a town hall meeting Thursday night to discuss social injustice.
The town hall was held at Ebenezer Baptist Church in north Oklahoma City and included OKC advocate Grace Franklin, Oklahoma City Police Chief Wade Gourley, Deputy Chief Ron Bacy, Ret. Chief Charles Ramsey, and Ebenezer Baptist Church Pastor Derrick Scobey.
The town hall was held to share information about 21CP (21st Century Policing) which is in the process of being implemented in Oklahoma City, but the topic shifted to an Oklahoma City police officer being charged in the death of Bennie Edwards.
“Society has failed when we are not helping those people before they get to that point,” said Oklahoma City Police Chief, Wade Gourley.
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