Thread by @SamTLevin

NEW: Video reveals San Bernardino sheriffs fatally shot Savannah Graziano, 15, a reported kidnapping victim, while she was unarmed + following deputies instructions to move to them.

They continued shooting even after one officer said "Stop shooting her"

theguardian.com/us-news/2024/a…

San Bernardino has refused to release video of the killing of the teenage girl since 2022, but @joeyneverjoe filed records requests + pushed for their release + shared the footage with @guardian

The video + audio evidence shows how the sheriff initially spread misleading claims.

@joeyneverjoe @guardian CJ Wyatt, Savannah’s uncle, told me: “There needs to be better training so that unarmed people aren’t killed. Hopefully this video can be used for training – something has to be done differently. She didn’t have to die.”

@joeyneverjoe @guardian Anthony Graziano, 45, killed his estranged wife (Savannah's mother) on 9/26/22, prompting an Amber alert for Savannah warning she was suspected "taken/abducted" by her father.

A 911 caller reported seeing her and his car the next day, prompting a police chase...

@joeyneverjoe @guardian Following the killing, Sheriff claimed:

-Savannah may have been shot by her father

-deputies mistook her for her dad

-that she "ran" at deputies

The footage, released 2 years later, cast doubts on those claims. And the sheriff now makes clear she was killed by deputy shots.

@joeyneverjoe @guardian Helicopter video shows when the car stopped, Savannah exited and crouched down for about 10 seconds. As a nearby deputy (presumably seeing she was unarmed) called her to move toward him, she walked in his direction. At that point, one or more deputies shot her and killed her.

@joeyneverjoe @guardian The deputies weren't wearing bodycams, so we only have grainy vid from above, and audio from helicopter + a deputy's belt. The audio, however, makes clear that both the helicopter officer + deputy nearest her immediately remarked that it was Savannah who exited the vehicle...

@joeyneverjoe @guardian The CHP helicopter officer radioed: “Girl is out, the girl is out, guys. She’s out on the passenger side.” The deputy closest to her said: “Come to me! Come, come, walk, walk.." Gunfire continues as the deputy on the ground says: “Hey! Stop! Stop shooting her! He’s in the car!”

@joeyneverjoe @guardian After deputy says "stop," at least 4 more gunshots are heard. Savannah's uncle: “You can tell he was really trying to save her, so it’s just unfortunate there was some kind of miscommunication. He clearly knew it was Savannah, so what is the difference between him + the others?”

@joeyneverjoe @guardian The sheriff's department in its narration of the footage seems to acknowledge that this went wrong:

“You can hear [a deputy] calling her over and telling other deputies that the person who exited the truck was the passenger and for them to stop firing, but it was too late.”

@joeyneverjoe @guardian local civil rights lawyer:

“San Bernardino county does not train deputies to handle these high-stress situations appropriately. They have a very brutal approach of shoot first, ask questions later"

“It sounds like the wild wild west + an innocent child lost her life cuz of it"

This is the same sheriff's dept that fatally shot 15-year-old Ryan Gainer last month

My feature last week on the life + tragic killing of the autistic teenager, who was fatally shot in seconds by 2 deputies arriving at his home amid mental health episode:
theguardian.com/us-news/2024/m…

And just last week, San Bernardino sheriff's deputies were caught on film kneeing and punching in the head a man who was under arrest:

foxla.com/news/san-berna…

FULL STORY on the new footage here w/
@joeyneverjoe, incl full comments from Savannah's family, analysis from civil rights lawyers + breakdown of sheriff dept's initial misleading claims:

And key video excerpts here via @guardian: theguardian.com/us-news/2024/a…