The attorneys for the family of a homeless man who died after being stunned with a Taser ten times by a Pittsburgh police officer recently released official police footage showing the whole encounter.
The death of Jim Rogers sparked widespread outrage in the city of Pittsburgh due to the brutal nature of the encounter between him and former officer Keith Edmonds, who was investigating a bicycle theft on Oct. 13, 2021, when he came across Rogers.
The 52-minute video that Rogers’ family attorneys released is a compilation of bodycam footage, police dashboard video, and cellphone video of the encounter taken by multiple neighbors.
The footage begins with Edmonds’ bodycam video. Edmonds is seen approaching 54-year-old Rogers in a residential neighborhood after seeing that Rogers’ profile matched some parts of the suspect description he received from dispatchers.
He immediately confronts an unarmed Rogers about the bike theft, and after asking him a few questions, he frisks Rogers for “officer safety.” After Edmonds searches Rogers’ pockets and takes out a wallet, Rogers takes hold of the wallet, and Edmonds immediately forces him face-down to the ground.
Edmonds takes a Taser from his holster and presses it to Rogers’ back, threatening to use it on him if he doesn’t show his hands or put them behind his back. Rogers isn’t resisting Edmonds, but Edmonds fires off one shock when Rogers doesn’t comply with his orders.
Rogers apologizes and says he’s not doing anything. He never fights back against Edmonds, even as Edmonds shocks him with the Taser another time while he continues yelling at Rogers to put his hands behind his back.
Moments later, Edmonds releases his hold on Rogers, and Rogers tries to run away before Edmonds stuns him again, shouting the same order. The rest of the video shows Rogers continually trying to flee in distress while Edmonds continues to shock him.
The video shows Rogers breathing heavily…
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