December 14th 2024.
Last month, a 32-year-old woman was shot by police as she tried to flee from them. The incident occurred after a brief struggle and the woman was bleeding profusely. Despite her injuries, she kept asking the BART officer why he had shot her. The situation was chaotic as rescuers, including the officer who had fired the shot, tended to her in the parking lot of the Union City station of the transit system.
Recently, BART released body-camera footage of the Nov. 18 shooting. The incident took place after reports of reckless driving in the parking lot. The video revealed some startling details, which prompted an independent third-party investigation. Experts who watched the footage were quick to criticize the actions of the officers involved.
The body-camera footage was taken from the two officers who had approached the woman, identified as Jasmine Gao, to inquire about the reckless driving. The officer who fired the shot was named as Officer Nicholas Poblete, a 6½-year veteran of the department. Fortunately, Gao survived the shooting and has since been discharged from the hospital.
The Alameda County District Attorney's Office has not announced any charges filed against Gao in connection with the incident. When contacted by the Bay Area News Group, the DA's office declined to comment on the case. Gao was not in custody at the time of the shooting, as shown by online jail records.
After the shooting, it was reported that Gao had two active arrest warrants for failing to appear in court for two misdemeanor cases unrelated to the BART station incident. However, there is no indication that the officers involved were aware of these warrants. The warrants were related to incidents in 2023 where Gao was accused of brandishing weapons.
The body-camera footage released by BART was unedited, with only the necessary redactions made according to the law, said BART Police Chief Kevin Franklin. He assured the public that a thorough investigation will be conducted into the incident. Due to the seriousness of the matter, a third-party investigator has been hired to ensure an unbiased and objective review.
Two experts in policing were asked to briefly review the footage, and both of them found numerous reasons why the shooting may not have been justified. Roger Clark, a police consultant with 27 years of experience at the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, said that there was no credible threat to life shown in the video. He added that the woman was driving away and it did not appear that anyone was in harm's way. Therefore, the use of lethal force in this situation lacked credibility.
Seth Stoughton, a law and criminology professor at the University of South Carolina, stated that the incident began as a routine traffic stop but escalated quickly. He believed that the situation could have been handled differently.
Last month, a 32-year-old woman was shot by police after a brief struggle as she attempted to flee. As she lay on the ground, bleeding profusely, she repeatedly asked the BART officer why he had shot her. The officer who had fired the shot was among those who rushed to her aid in the parking lot of the Union City station. These details, along with others, were revealed in body-camera footage released by BART on Friday. The incident, which began with a report of reckless driving in the parking lot, has sparked criticism from outside experts who have viewed the video.
The footage, captured on the body-worn cameras of the two officers involved, shows the encounter with 32-year-old Jasmine Gao. BART Police have identified the officer who fired the shot as 6½-year veteran Officer Nicholas Poblete. Thankfully, Gao survived the shooting and has since been released from the hospital, according to BART officials.
As the investigation continues, the Alameda County District Attorney's Office has not yet announced any charges against Gao in connection with the incident. When contacted for comment, the DA's office declined to speak about the case. Online records show that Gao is not currently in custody.
After the shooting, it was revealed that Gao had two active arrest warrants for previous misdemeanor cases. However, there is no indication that the officers involved were aware of these warrants at the time of the incident. The warrants were related to incidents in 2023 where Gao allegedly brandished weapons on two separate occasions.
BART has released the unedited body-camera footage, with only the necessary redactions required by law, according to BART Police Chief Kevin Franklin. He also assured the public that a thorough investigation will be conducted, as an experienced third-party investigator has been retained to ensure an unbiased review.
Upon viewing the video, two policing experts expressed concerns about the use of lethal force in this situation. Roger Clark, a former police consultant with 27 years of experience, stated that there was no credible threat to life shown in the video. He also noted that Gao was driving away and no one was in her path, making any claim of being in danger of being run over seem unfounded.
Seth Stoughton, a professor of law and criminology, also commented on the video, stating that the initial traffic stop appeared to have escalated unnecessarily. He described it as a "garden variety traffic stop gone bad." As the investigation continues, these experts and others will closely analyze the footage to determine if the use of lethal force was justified in this situation.
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