Fox 40 KTXL in Sacramento reports that there were protests in Woodland, CA on Monday night over the fatal shooting of an armed man by police in Woodland Monday morning. The deceased man was allegedly armed with a knife. The protest triggered a response from police, who fired tear gas and stun grenades at the crowd. Demonstrators specifically cited protests against police in Ferguson, MO as an inspiration for their own protest.
One young black female protester, Miley Hampton, 18, was excited to be at her first-ever police protest. She told Fox 40 her appearance was triggered by the shooting of Michael Brown in Missouri. She snapped, “These men who are getting shot? They could have been my brother. They could have been my father. They could have been me, even.” Referring to the Woodland incident, she added, “This man was mentally ill. The police could have tased him.”
Another female protester added, “He was more harmful to himself than to anyone else. This situation needed to be handled differently.”
Police said that protocol dictates that they must not allow someone with a knife to approach within 21 feet.
Sandy Malone, a retired police officer, demonstrated on the other side of the street. He told KTXL, “Whether the person had mental illness or not, if they’re violent, they’re aggressive, they’re hostile, they arm themselves with weapons, police have to do what is necessary to defend themselves. They were there to protect the rights of other people.”
A third-party investigation has been started into the man’s death to determine if lethal force was necessary.
Hampton said dramatically, “I was quiet for all eighteen years of my life, and I’m finally standing up. I finally found a voice, and now I will never be silent. They will never silence me ever again.”
The protest reportedly caused part of Interstate 5 to be shut down temporarily, according to CBS Sacramento.
Image: Screenshot/KTXL Fox 40 Sacramento