Photo Courtesy Of Robert Adams family
Reports said that San Bernardino officers in an unmarked car fatally shot 23-year-old Black man Robert Adams in the back as he was running away from them.
San Bernardino police fatally shot Adams in the parking lot of a business on July 16. The San Bernardino Police Department (SBDP).released a statement saying he allegedly pulled a gun from his waistband as he approached the officers’ unmarked vehicle and was still carrying it as he attempted to run away. SBDP added that the officers at the scene of the shooting were from the specialized investigative unit and were deployed to the parking lot after receiving information about “a Black male armed with a gun was in the parking lot of an illegal online gambling business.”
In surveillance footage of the incident, Adams was seen speaking to someone while standing at the rear of a parked car before stepping toward the unmarked police vehicle. At that point, two officers exited the vehicle with their guns drawn, prompting the young man to run. Then, one of the officers fired his weapon, striking Adams in the back. When paramedics arrived, he was brought to a local hospital, where he died from his injuries.
Adams’ family has been seeking answers regarding his death and enlisted famed civil rights lawyer Ben Crump to assist.
“This is a classic example of ‘shoot first, ask questions later.’ What we witnessed was a young man unnecessarily and unjustifiably being murdered,” Crump said at a news conference on July 20.
“I just want answers. This is all his family. My son was well-loved,” Adams’ mother, Tamika Deavila King, added.
San Bernardino Police Chief Darren Goodman said the department is conducting an internal administrative investigation. When the investigation is finally completed, it will be sent to the DA’s office for a full review. The assessment will be released to the public.
California’s Department of Justice is reportedly not currently investigating the incident.
“A part of me is gone now, and I can’t ever get it back. I want criminal prosecution and I want justice and I never want another mother to have to bear this pain. It hurts so bad,” King told the Guardian.