Photo: Getty Images
A 17-year-old teenager was left critically injured after being shot in the back by a Baltimore police officer.
On Tuesday (May 16), Baltimore police released body camera footage of last week's shooting of Mekhi Franklin. Though the teen was armed, video doesn't clearly show Franklin was posing a threat to the officer who shot him in the back, the HuffPost reports.
Franklin was walking on a sidewalk with another individual when Officer Cedric Elleby approached them.
"Come here," Elleby told Franklin, according to body camera footage.
“What bro?” the teen responded.
Elleby then attempted to grab Franklin before the teen began sprinting away from the officer. A foot chase followed through a grassy area, a back alley, and then a nearby sidewalk, video shows.
The officer ordered Franklin to stop and put his gun down after the teen pulled out the firearm from his pants. The gun appeared to be in Franklin's hand, but he cannot be seen turning toward Elleby or pointing the gun at him at any point during the video.
Elleby fired four shots causing Franklin to collapse to the ground.
Warning: Graphic
Following the shooting, residents and bystanders arrived at the scene as another officer attempted to render aid to Franklin.
“You just shot him for nothing,” one civilian said, per the video.
Franklin was badly wounded in the shooting and lost several organs.
On the day of the incident, Elleby was patrolling the area and saw Franklin “displaying characteristics of an armed person,” Baltimore Police Deputy Commissioner Richard Worley said in a statement. Police said Elleby is a part of the department's district action team, which sends officers out in plainclothes for "proactive" policing focused on armed people, traffic stops, and foot chases.
The Maryland Attorney General’s Office said they aren't investigating the shooting at this time.
Franklin's mother, Keira Franklin, said her son has been harassed by police before.
“This happened previously with the same police officer,” she said.
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