Police provided more details Wednesday about the killing of a Black man during a confrontation with officers earlier this week in San Jose.
Officials said that the incident occurred Monday evening as plainclothes officers were monitoring 31-year-old Demetrius Stanley as part of an investigation into an armed robbery.
According to their account, when Stanley noticed the officers he confronted them, ultimately pointing his gun at one officer in an unmarked vehicle who responded by opening fire and killing Stanley.
In addition, authorities released video of the moments directly before the shooting occurred.
The video show Stanley walking around holding a gun and cuts off right after Stanley opens the door to the vehicle and appears to point his weapon at the police officers.
San Jose Police Chief Anthony Matta said officers were not expecting a violent encounter. "When the officers were confronted, they made a decision based on the facts that they observed," Matta explained. "It wasn’t intended to go this way."
The killing sparked angry protests Tuesday night in San Jose which caused a freeway, State Route 87, to be shutdown.
Family members and supporters argued that the officers didn’t do enough to identify themselves.
"I saw a Black man that was trying to protect himself and he’s being demonized for it in his death," Activist Lou Dimes said. "The family’s being demonized for it as well for how they were treated afterwards."
Police said a joint investigation into the incident has been launched.
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