The Houston Police Department has changed its mind and decided Wednesday night to release the surveillance footage from the night unarmed 26 year old Jordan Baker was shot and killed by police in January of 2014. Baker’s family believes that the video raises suspicion as tho why Jordan was stopped in the first place.
The video does not show the actual shooting, however, it does show Baker riding his bike through a strip mall parking lot when Officer Juventino Castro pulled up behind him in a white police cruiser. The Baker family, including Jordan’s mother, asserts that the video supports the claim that Jordan’s civil rights were violated under the guise of racial profiling.
Acording to police reports, Castro thought that Baker was a burglary suspect and said a struggle ensued when Castro tried to stop Baker. According to the report, Baker ran, turned and reached in his waistband.
Jordan Baker was found to be unarmed.
Houston PD initially weren’t going to release the footage due to the threat of a lawsuit, but Chief Charles McClelland said Wednesday evening they changed their stance in the interest of public trust and transparency.
