RICHMOND, Va. — Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney issued the following statement following the release of Richmond Police body camera video that showed the fatal shooting of 24-year-old Marcus Peters:
“It’s always tragic when we lose a life in the city, and the death of Marcus-David Peters is no exception. I appreciate Chief Durham’s commitment to transparency this morning with the release of the unedited body-worn camera video footage, and I expect the Richmond Police Department and all relevant authorities to complete a thorough investigation and to release their findings once all the facts are known. In the meantime, I ask the Richmond community to continue to keep the Peters family in their thoughts and prayers during this difficult time.”
Earlier Friday, in an effort to present facts and provide transparency, Richmond Police released the body camera video, Richmond Police Chief Alfred Durham said. Chief Durham said he broke department protocol and released the video amid the investigation, so the public could see what happened during the May 14 incident and stop spread of falsehoods on social media.
Peters’ family members, who saw the video earlier in the week, said it proved Peters needed help.
“Our stance has not changed, Marcus did not deserve to be killed, Marcus deserved help,” his sister Princess Blanding said. “He was very clearly in distress, major distress and he needed help, not death.”
The family also held a press conference Friday.
In-depth coverage of this investigation continues at 5 p.m. on CBS 6 News.
