PHOENIX – A medical examiner’s report has concluded a man who was shot with less-lethal rounds by Phoenix Police on Jan. 10 died from blunt force trauma to the chest.
The backstory:
Police attempted to arrest Terrell Clay, 33, on a felony parole violation warrant and to question him in an armed robbery investigation. According to officials, Clay, who was armed, ran and climbed onto the roof of a home near 43rd Avenue and Thomas Road.
Body camera footage shows officers using a 37-millimeter launcher, which police describe as a less-lethal tool that fires a “direct baton which is designed to deliver pain compliance.”
An officer is heard over body camera footage telling Clay, “Turn around and get down. You’re going to be hit again.”
Police deployed the launcher seven times, though it is unclear how many times Clay was struck. After he was arrested, Clay told first responders his chest was in pain, and he later died at a hospital.
The medical examiner’s paperwork also stated that Clay had drugs in his system.
What they’re saying:
Civil rights attorney, Ben Taylor, who was not involved in this case, said incidents like this can happen.
“I’ve seen a lot of people hurt, or even die using less-lethal force,” Taylor said.
The Gila County Attorney’s Office reviewed the case and concluded it would not pursue criminal charges against the officers, finding their actions to be justified.
Taylor said while the decision hurts a potential civil case, “you can still have justice in a civil courtroom.”
FOX 10 attempted to contact Clay’s family and the Phoenix Police Department but did not receive responses.
Crime and Public SafetyPhoenixNews