November 20, 2020
The Families of Two Black Teenagers Killed By Florida Police Want Answers
Questions are surrounding a case in Florida where two Black teenagers were killed by a police officer and the killings were caught on camera. Last Friday, according to CBS, two Black teenagers were killed when a sheriff’s deputy fired into the car as they were driving. Their families want more details about what actually happened and why the police had to use deadly force.
The two dead teenagers, 16-year-old A.J. Crooms and 18-year-old Sincere Pierce, had been followed by Cocoa, Florida, police officers who claim they were investigating a stolen car. The officers pulled behind the vehicle and made the boys stop in a residential neighborhood. A dashcam video, which was released Tuesday, shows two police vehicles following them. As the car turns around, one of the deputies yells at the driver to stop the car. When he doesn’t, deputy Jafet Santiago-Miranda fires directly into the vehicle, killing both occupants.
The Brevard County Sheriff’s Office of Florida posted the video and a statement on its Facebook page.
“What we know to date is that on Friday morning two of our Deputies were attempting to conduct a follow-up investigation on what they believed was a possible stolen car that had just recently fled from another Deputy in the Cocoa area.
Video released by @BrevardSheriff clearly shows AJ Crooms & Sincere Pierce were terrified, trying to drive around cops who approached w/ guns drawn. Out of harm’s way, the deputy moved closer to get a better shot, firing w/ intent to kill, then kept firing as the car passed by. pic.twitter.com/9RrAmLKqyT
— Ben Crump (@AttorneyCrump) November 18, 2020