Newly released law enforcement footage shows the moment a California police officer fatally shot an unarmed 15-year-old girl who had been reported as a kidnapping victim.
On September 27, 2022, San Bernardino County sheriff’s deputies were searching for Savannah Graziano, who was feared to have been kidnapped by her father, Anthony Graziano, after he shot and killed her mother the day before.
Deputies cornered Anthony Graziano’s car on the side of a highway in Hesperia, 130 miles east of Los Angeles. When Savannah got out of her car, they opened fire, killing her. The shooting sparked national concern, with critics questioning how the officers could have killed the teenage girl they were tasked with rescuing.
sheriff staff claimed After the shooting, it was unclear whether Savannah was shot by police or her father, and when she got out of the car, officers said they didn’t realize it was her. For nearly two years, they refused to release footage of the shooting.
But on Friday, the department released nearly a dozen video files to Joey Scott, an independent journalist who filed a records request 18 months ago. The clip, shared with the Guardian, also includes footage from a helicopter and shows officers firing at Savannah as she follows instructions to move towards them. The video also suggests that two officers said, “It’s the girl who came out,” before the officer shot her. This footage, and the sheriff’s narration on the video, further reveals that she was killed by the sheriff and not her father.
The Sheriff’s Office did not respond to requests for comment.
The footage will increase scrutiny of the sheriff’s department, which has already come under fire after its officers killed Ryan Gaynor, a 15-year-old boy with autism, last month. Ryan, who was shot and killed by two deputies within seconds of the encounter, had mental health issues. The killings raised concerns about the use of deadly force against children and the failure to defuse the crisis.
The search for Savannah began on September 26, 2022, when officials say her father shot and killed her mother. separated wife) and opened fire on a father and his child outside a school in nearby Fontana. Authorities issued an Amber Alert for Savannah that day, saying she was suspected of being “kidnapped/abducted” by her father.
The next morning, a 911 caller reported seeing Graziano’s pickup truck and Savannah purchasing items at a gas station. Police soon spotted Graziano speeding on a nearby highway, and a chaotic pursuit began.
According to the police department, when officers caught up with the vehicle, shots were fired at police from inside the vehicle, and photos of the vehicle being damaged were released.
The footage released Friday is the first to reveal what happened next. This photo, taken by a California Highway Patrol (CHP) helicopter, shows Anthony Graziano speeding through traffic while a police officer runs toward him after he loses traction as he tries to climb an embankment. It captures the situation.
When the car stopped near the deputy, Savannah got out of the car and a CHP officer can be heard saying on the radio, according to the video. She’s out on the passenger side. ”
The video shows her crouching on the ground for about 10 seconds, then walking toward a group of about seven deputies, followed by a thud that appears to indicate at least one deputy shooting her, but the department said at this time So the savannah is blurred. A CHP dispatcher can be heard saying, “Oh, no.”
Deputies weren’t wearing them. body cameraHowever, the department also shared audio from the belt of a deputy who was standing near the girl. The audio recording shows the deputy yelling, “Passengers, get out!” While gunshots can be heard in the background. Then the adjutant exclaimed: Come, come, come…walk, walk, walk.”
Then he says: Stop! Stop shooting her! He’s in the car! “After he said, “Stop,” at least four gunshots were heard behind him. A sheriff’s statement describing the audio said: [a deputy] A passenger got out of the truck and called for her, telling other deputies to stop firing, but it was too late. ”
Savannah was pronounced dead at the hospital. Graziano was also shot by the deputies and died at the scene, although the footage does not reveal when it happened. It’s unclear how many officers shot Savannah or how many bullets hit her. The department said Savannah was wearing “tactical gear and a helmet” when she left the facility, but her clothing is not clearly captured in the footage.
Evidence released last week did not reveal who fired the shots at police from inside Graziano’s car. The sheriff’s station is was suggested Graziano was firing at officers and Savannah may have been too. did. The ministry said “this aspect” of the incident remains under investigation.
One of Savannah’s relatives declined to comment, and others could not be reached.
San Bernardino County civil rights attorney Sharon Brunner reviewed the footage for the Guardian and said there appeared to be no one in charge of coordinating the officers’ strategy. He said the deputy’s own gunfire may have prompted others to open fire, causing a “contagious” fire. “San Bernardino County has not trained its law enforcement to properly respond to these high-stress situations. They have taken a very brutal approach of shooting first and asking questions later. ” she said.
She said there could have been a better effort to get the scene under control and bring Savannah to safety. “It looks like an innocent child died because of it in the Wild West.” .
Jim Terrell, another local civil rights attorney, said the incident followed a pattern in which the department used “undisciplined firepower.”
“Coverage and ratings are replaced by fear and anxiety and mass shootings,” he said.
The California Department of Justice investigating the incident Under a law that requires investigations into killings of unarmed people by police. Officials are not named Officers involved.
The footage puts added pressure on an already beleaguered sector. In addition to Ryan Gainer’s killing, the department has come under fire after a video of the deputy was released last week. punch and knee kick A man in handcuffs in Hesperia. In December, a sheriff’s deputy was arrested on suspicion of being under the influence of cocaine. resigned. Last year, the Sheriff’s Office also faced the following problems: wrongful death and wrongful arrest Lawsuit.
