They were investigating a violent felony.
They told the decedent and friends they were going to pat down for weapons. Perfectly lawful Terry stop and frisk.
After being told he was going to be patted down and to keep his hands up, the guy runs. To do his job, the cop has to pursue.
Officers were completely justified in assuming that he was armed given all that.
Guy is reaching for something on his person as he runs.
Cops’ adrenaline is off the charts. Almost all of the critics have never been in that situation.
Guy turns out to be carrying a firearm.
Unless there is something else seems like a good shoot.
I may have mentioned this before but I was once on a real back in the day ride along at night when I started handling this stuff. Was with a cop who made a normal traffic stop of a black guy in a high crime area. Of course 90% + of the peeps in that neighborhood were of color. It wasn’t profiling. He called for back up, telling me just to sit tight in the cruiser while he approached the car. Back up was there in several minutes which were the longest in my life to that date. You really don’t know what’s in that car or what’s gonna happen. Plus ten pucker factor for me. Routine stop for him. If I had seen that guy reaching for something, I sure as shit would have shot him. Cops are people too with the same survival instinct and emotions we all have.