18 year-old Antonio Martin had a criminal record, with charges including three assaults, armed robbery, armed criminal action and multiple uses of weapons… since he was 17.
On Tuesday night Antonio Martin drew a gun from his pocket and pointed it at police.
He was shot dead by the officer.
The attorney for the Berkeley police officer said this bizarre scenario may have been a set-up at the store to kill police.
** Antonio Martin and his companion stole from the store before the shooting.
Attorney Brian Millikensays it may have been a set-up.
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported:
“This individual could have complied with the officer. He could have ran away, he could have dropped the gun, all sort of things could have happened. It didn’t have to end with him approaching the officer with an arm extended and a 9 mm pistol in his hand,” Belmar said.
Milliken said his client recounted the details to him several hours after the shooting.
“The other guy was doing the talking, and as the cop starts talking, the suspect starts walking away again,” Millikan said. “At that point, the cop says, ‘Hey, come back here,’ and he turns around, pulls a gun from his left pant pocket.”
“He’s trying to process all of this, and the suspect raises it, points it at him. The cop pulls his weapon and starts backpedaling and fired three or four shots. It happened that quickly. He doesn’t understand why the suspect’s gun didn’t fire. I’m not sure if he tried to pull the trigger and it jammed.”
Belmar said as the officer backpedaled,he stumbled and dropped the flashlight. Berkeley Mayor Theodore Hoskins, in a news conference later Wednesday morning, said it may have been a blessing in disguise.
“I think the officer, because he stumbled, may have saved his (own) life,” he said.
Millikan said it’s possible that his client was being set up for an ambush.
Store employees called 911 after the suspects stole from the store, Millikan said.
“Their behavior is certainly bizarre, and it wouldn’t surprise me at all, in the environment we are in, that’s for sure,” Millikan said.
Police were attacked after the shooting.
The videographer says the protesters were throwing bricks.
(Warning on Language)
