Cop Shoots Unarmed Man Approaching Her Car After Chase Because "He Was Walking With A Purpose"

Chris | InformationLiberation
Jun. 11, 2015

While a Des Moines police officer was performing a routine traffic stop a young man pulled his car up next to his in such close proximity that the officer couldn't exit his own vehicle, then got out and performed an erratic "almost dance" before returning to his car and driving away.

Police proceeded to pursue the man in a "slow speed chase" until he eventually came to an abrupt stop. Two officers surrounded his vehicle, one parked in front of him, one behind, and the man proceeded to exit his car. Upon "charging or walking" towards one of the police officers, a female cop sitting in her patrol car, she shot him through her window and hit him in his torso, killing him on the spot.

Police justified the shooting by saying he was "walking with a purpose," though he was found after the shooting to have been unarmed.

From the Des Moines Register:
A Des Moines police officer fired her service weapon through the rolled-up window of her patrol car on Tuesday night, fatally shooting an unarmed man said to be charging at her car, according to police.

Ryan Keith Bolinger, 28, of West Des Moines, died at the scene from a single gunshot to the torso. Police and witnesses said he led two officers on a slow chase through northwestern Des Moines Tuesday evening that ended with Bolinger exiting his vehicle and coming toward the squad car.

"He was walking with a purpose," Sgt. Jason Halifax of Des Moines Police said following a press conference Wednesday on the shooting.

Senior Police Officer Vanessa Miller, a seven-year veteran, fired the round that killed Bolinger. Miller was assisting Senior Police Officer Ian Lawler, also a seven-year veteran, in the pursuit of Bolinger's vehicle after a bizarre confrontation involving an unrelated vehicle stop that Bolinger interrupted.

Both officers are on administrative leave until the investigation, is completed, per the department policy. The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation will assist in the investigation.
Here's a local news report on the shooting from KCCI, it has some footage of the slow speed chase:



While they report there is dash cam video of the incident, the police said in their press conference the shooting was not captured on any of the officers' dash cams and none of the officers were wearing body cams.













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