Photo: Getty Images
Two former Oklahoma police officers have been charged with first-degree manslaughter for the shooting death of 29-year-old Quadry Sanders.
Disturbing body camera footage from the December 5 fatal shooting showed that Sanders had just raised his hands when a police officer shot him four times. Sanders fell to the ground and briefly sat up with his arms raised again before the officer and another cop opened fire on Sanders again, firing 15 shots at him, 12 of which hit him, officials said.
Sanders died at the hospital that same night, the Lawton Police Department said.
The cops –– identified as Nathan Ronan and Robert Hinkle –– were fired from the Department in January following an internal investigation. On Friday (May 6), the Comanche County district attorney announced first-degree manslaughter against both ex-cops for Sanders' killing.
The Oklahoma Bureau of Investigation determined that "the shooting of Quadry Sanders was not justified," District Attorney Kyle Cabelka said in a statement to KSWO.
"My thoughts and prayers go out to the parents and those in our community who lost a loved one in Quadry Sanders," Lawton Mayor Stan Booker said in a statement while announcing the charges Friday (May 6). "The loss of life in our community is always a difficult matter to grasp."
Civil rights attorney Lee Merritt is representing Sanders' family. On Instagram, Merritt wrote that there isn't "a single redeemable factor that mitigates any aspect of this shooting."
"It was just murder," Merritt wrote. "There was no justification."
Quadry Sanders was a father to eight children and a musician, his family told KSWO in December.
"He made everybody laugh," Sanders' mother, Mina Woods, said at the time. "We could all be in a bad mood, ready to fight, ready to cry or whatever, and he would say things that would send us into all-out laughter."
Reading about Black trauma can have an impact on your mental health. If you or someone you know need immediate mental health help, text "STRENGTH" to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.
Get the latest news 24/7 on The Black Information Network. Listen now on the iHeartRadio app or click HERE to tune in live.