A white policeman in the southern US state of Georgia shot dead an unarmed black man who was possibly deranged and lunged at the officer while naked, authorities said (AFP Photo/Ronald Martinez)
MIAMI (AFP) – A white policeman in the southern US state of Georgia shot dead an unarmed black man who was possibly deranged and lunged at the officer while naked, authorities said.
It was the latest in a series of fatal police shootings of unarmed black men and youths that have ignited criticism and scrutiny of police tactics in minority communities in the United States.
The incident occurred Monday in DeKalb County, Georgia after police responded to a call about a naked man acting erratically, banging on doors and dragging himself on the ground, county police chief Cedric Alexander told reporters.
The police officer confronted the naked man in a parking lot and the victim charged the officer.
“The officer called him to stop while stepping backwards, drew his weapon and fired two shots. The male was struck and died at the scene,” the police chief said.
The man was identified in local media as 27-year-old Anthony Hill.
He was not armed so the county asked the Georgia Bureau of Investigation to conduct a probe and suspended the officer.
“What I have requested here is the result of what is going on currently across this country as it relates to police shootings,” Alexander said. “We just want to be as transparent and fair as we can.”
The shooting comes a week after the US Justice Department said it would not prosecute a white policeman whose fatal shooting of black teen Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri in August sparked protests and nationwide outrage.
On Friday, an unarmed 19-year-old black youth was shot dead in Madison, Wisconsin by a police officer responding to a call about a disturbance.
