by Matt Agorist, The Free Thought Project:
Paterson, NJ — On the night he opened fire on Khalif Cooper, moments before pulling the trigger, Officer Jerry Moravek claimed the unarmed man had a gun. Even after he shot Cooper multiple times in the back, Moravek maintained that Cooper was armed. But this wasn’t true. Now, the taxpayers of Paterson will be held accountable. Cooper — who has been paralyzed since the incident — is suing for $50 million.
The shooting unfolded in June 2022, and earlier this year, Moravek was charged with aggravated assault because body camera video showed his victim had no such gun when the officer tried to kill him.
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“The body-worn camera footage does not depict the victim brandishing any firearm or pointing a firearm at the defendant, other officers or any member of the public,” a statement from Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin’s office said. “No gun was found in the victim’s possession nor within his reach.”
“Every officer knows that his firearm is meant to be a last resort,” the lawsuit quotes Platkin as saying. “And our policy is clear: Officers have a responsibility to use force only after giving civilians a chance to comply with orders.”
According to state law, an officer is only allowed to fire on a fleeing suspect if their escape would cause an “imminent threat” to an officer or bystander. As the video shows, however, Cooper was not a threat and Moravek never even told him to stop running.
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