Calls for citizen review board after fatal Fla. police shooting
BELLE GLADE, Fla. -- There are calls for the creation of a citizen review board following the fatal shooting of a 19-year-old man by a Palm Beach County Sheriff's deputy.
The shooting happened Saturday during a traffic stop in Belle Glade.
Sheriff's officials say Henry Bennett ran and the deputy followed. Authorities say that's when Bennett turned and pointed a gun at him. The deputy fired, hitting Bennett twice. Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw toldCBS affiliate WPEC the deputy shouted "stop" and "get on the ground" during the short foot chase prior to the shooting.
Family members and friends, however, told the paper they understood the man was shot in the back as he was running away.
Palm Beach County Commissioner Priscilla Taylor tells The Palm Beach Post that a citizen review board is necessary because "people are upset" over police shootings.
"To get the confidence back, we need a review board," Taylor told the paper. The Palm Beach County Clergy Alliance also wants a review board. A proposal to create such a board, which would investigate complaints against police, was rejected in September by county commissioners, reports The Palm Beach Post.
The deputy's name hasn't been released. The sheriff's department and the state attorney's office are investigating. The sheriff's office is taking a closer look at dash-cam video to determine how the shooting happened, WPEC reports.
The Post reports county deputies were involved in three shootings in 2015. One was fatal.