The fatal shooting of an armed man in a wheelchair by police officers in Wilmington, Delaware Wednesday is being investigated by the state's Department of Justice.
Officers responded to a report of a man in a wheelchair with a self-inflicted gunshot wound in the 1800 block of Tulip Street when the incident occurred, according to The News Journal.
Police officials said that the man, identified by family members as 28-year-old Jeremy McDole, was shot by officers after he refused to put down a gun and died at the scene.
Cell phone video taken at the shooting scene shows multiple police officers with their guns drawn, ordering the man to raise his hands into the air. Police continue to advance in the video when the man adjusts himself in the chair, before reaching into his pocket. At that point, multiple shots then ring out, striking the man before he falls out of the wheelchair.
"The mayor’s office and police department is aware of the video footage, and will continue to conduct a thorough investigation of the officer- involved shooting." city spokeswoman Alexandra Coppadge told reporters.
About 30 family and friends gathered at the scene of the shooting Thursday morning to mourn the man and told reporters that they were angry at police for what they say was an "unjustified use of force."
Delaware Department of Justice spokesman Carl Kanefsky said in a statement that an ongoing investigation will determine if police should face criminal charges in the shooting.
