Home Viet Nam Human Rights » Analysis-Comment » A Vietnamese-American woman shot dead by US police officer

A Vietnamese-American woman shot dead by US police officer

15/5/16
                                   Ms.Vo was shot by officer Bloch, the image from the footage


The US police officer says he has right to shoot the Vietnamese-American woman when she was holding knife and running to him, but the family of the victim denied that she was harmless.
The Greensboro Police Department has just released the footage recorded the incident happened on March 25 2014. The footage, recorded by the camera stuck on the police officer, Timothy Bloch, showed that Ms. Chieu Di Thi Vo, 47 years old, was “running to” him.
“Where is she? Is she here?” the officer shouted when Ms. Vo appeared on camera with a knife. “Put it down! Put it down!”
Ms. Vo shouted at the officer and then Bloch shot her fallen down on the ground. Her mother was standing closely.
Mr. Tin Thanh Nguyen, the attorney of the victim’s family, said that Ms. Vo barely spoke English, suffered from bipolar disorder and abnormal development.
The family watched the footage and said that Ms. Vo was not using knife to attack Mr. Bloch.
“She ought not to be dead” Mr. Nguyen said.
Greensboro Police Department also released a recording to 911 from the apartment where the incident happened.
“Can you send someone to 4027 Hewitt Street? There a Filipino woman. She has problems. She is holding knife and chasing her mother” a neighbor called, mistaken about Ms. Vo’s origin.
After the incident, the Greensboro Police Department and the investigation agency quickly concluded Ms. Vo was holding the butcher knife and running toward Mr. Bloch, so Mr. Bloch had right to shoot her. However, Mr. Bloch still resigned then.
Greensboro Police Chief Wayne Scott called the death of Ms. Vo a “tragedy” but reiterated that he agreed with the investigation result.
“I believe that she stared at him and moved straight forward” Mr. Scott said. “She didn’t even change the direction until the first bullets were fired.”
The supporters of Mr. Vo’s family had been approved with their demand to the city council to order the Police Department released the footage of the incident 2 years ago.
The family said that Ms. Vo had never threatened her mother or chasing Mr. Bloch. And the police officer had other choices to solve the case because Ms. Vo was far from the officer and didn’t pose any immediate threat.
Ms. Vo’s family hopes this case will attract public concern about the treatment of the police to the citizens who cannot speak English or having mental problems.
“Now the footage has been released, our next step is to prepare for the lawsuit against the city”, the attorney said, “the North Carolina is now different from 20 – 30 years ago, we are a big center of refugees and migrants. Therefore, if this community wants to show its warm welcome to everyone, the police must show this too.”
In America, the vulnerable people such as black, colored or Asia American... are always received cruel treatment from public forces of the State or Government. They don’t have basic rights as white American. The US Government should change policies and activities toward these people, ensuring fair treatment to everyone, who are contributing to build the country./.


Chia sẻ bài viết ^^
Other post

All comments [ 0 ]


Your comments