Family searches for answers after officer shoots, kills 19-year-old in Wilmington, Delaware, during foot chase
A family is searching for answers after police in Wilmington, Delaware, shot and killed a 19-year-old Wednesday night.
The incident happened in a residential area near 24th and Jessup streets just after 11 p.m., Wilmington police said in a news release.
Officers were monitoring a large crowd gathered outside when they saw a young man exit a home with a handgun and point it toward the crowd, police say.
When officers approached him, police said he ran away and a foot pursuit began.
At some point in the chase, an officer fired their weapon and hit the 19-year-old, who was identified Thursday as Kadir Skinner. He was taken to a local hospital, where he later died.
Police say they recovered a loaded gun from the 19-year-old and that the officer was not injured.
Video filmed at the scene shows a crowd of residents gathered outside after the shooting.
Durell Dollard, Skinner's father, said his understanding is that his son was running away from a dog when he was shot. He's now left searching for answers about what happened.
Skinner recently graduated from high school and celebrated his birthday, Dollard said. He was pursuing a career in carpentry, his family said.
"My son's supposed to be here right now," he said.
Dollard is also questioning the police account of what happened.
"I don't know, I know my son don't carry a gun, I know that for sure. My son got no charges," he said.
Rashai Skinner, Kadir's mother, is also pleading for answers.
"I want transparency on what happened to my son. I'm not OK," she said.
The family is demanding a meeting with Wilmington's police chief, and they want to know whether the officer will face disciplinary action. They claim their son was put in a police cruiser after he was shot.
Wilmington police said the officer who fired the shot is on administrative leave. Police also said they are in touch with Kadir Skinner's family and will respond to any requests that they have.
The shooting has left many in the community outraged. As neighbors and loved ones console one another, former Delaware state Rep. Sherry Dorsey Walker is asking for peace and patience.
"I do believe we need to give the investigators the time that they need in order to be able to get the answers for the family, the community," Walker said.
Police are asking anyone with more information to come forward. The shooting is under investigation by the Delaware Department of Justice and Wilmington police.
