Unarmed Black Man Killed By Mesquite Police During a Mental Health Crisis

On May 4, Ashton Pinke, an unarmed Black man, was gunned down by Mesquite, Texas Police officers in the 5800 block of Northwest Drive Audubon Park Apartments following a 911 call to contain a domestic disturbance.

According to the Mesquite Police Department report, officers claimed that they “made contact with the suspect (Pinke) on the side of the apartment building where the suspect charged at officers, armed with a knife and a club.”

Footage of the incident reveals officers aiming at Pinke with their guns drawn and yelling multiple times, “Don’t do it!” before shots were fired. Pinke was later taken to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

WITNESS VIDEO: Ashton Pinke (27) was shot-and-killed by @MesquitePD_TX officers, Tuesday. Investigators say Pinke, a suspect related to a domestic violence hang-up call, charged officers with a “knife and a club.” His family questions if a knife was in-hand. ⚠️: GRAPHIC. @FOX4 pic.twitter.com/0f8HUw5wWz

— David Sentendrey (@DavidSFOX4) May 5, 2021

Police stated that they identified a “victim,” who is assumed to be the person who placed the 911 call.

Yon Rico Bell, a neighbor that was alerted to the disturbance, recounted, “I walked over where the cops were, there was a lady screaming and a guy laying on the ground, and the paramedics looked like they were trying to resuscitate him,” according to NBC Dallas-Fort Worth. 

Pinke’s family attorney, Justin A. Moore, said police were called to an “alleged domestic disturbance” and that “according to witnesses at the scene, this should have been a mental health welfare check.”

“Unfortunately, the lack of a proper response by the Mesquite Police Department ended in Asthon being shot and killed,” Moore continued to say in his statement. “By all accounts, Ashton was not armed with a gun or deadly weapon to justify the use of lethal force by officers on the scene.”

Related Story: St. Louis Natives Create Mental Health Service for Black Men and Black Therapists

Despite police reports, Moore plans to pursue his investigation on the Pinke case.

The lawyer said he plans to “Investigate any and all civil rights claims for Ashton’s family while demanding full transparency in any and all investigation that will be conducted by law enforcement going forward.”

Officers reported that the cops who killed Pinke were identified as a 25-year-old woman and a 21-year-old man, and they have been placed on administrative leave with pay.