A Mississippi police officer has been accused of shooting and killing an unarmed Black man and allowing a police dog to mutilate him. The incident occurred after the man ran during a routine traffic stop. Antwun “Ronnie” Shumpert was pulled over by Tupelo Police Officer Tyler Cook around 9:30pm on June 18, ThinkProgress reports.
According to attorneys, the 37-year-old father of five immediately exited his vehicle and ran for unknown reasons. The officer then released a K-9 who found Shumpert hiding under a nearby home. The dog gashed a hole through his testicles during the attack and scratched him across his body.
Officer Cook then shot Shumpert four times when he found him. Carlos Moore is representing Shumpert’s family. He says Shumpert was also found to have suffered from injuries to his face and teeth, indicating that there may have been a physical altercation between him and Officer Cook.
Shumpert died five hours after being transported to a medical center for treatment.
“We believe the officer just went berserk,” Moore told the media outlet. “It was a modern day lynching.”
Moore says an eyewitness did not notice Shumpert instigating violence and was voluntarily surrendering while exiting his hiding space when the K-9 violently attacked his groin. As Shumpert struggled to get free from the K-9’s grip, Cook allegedly walked up and shot him three times in the chest and once in the stomach.
Cook has been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation.
Check back for updates.
