Delaware’s Wilmington Police shot and killed a man in a wheelchair

Delaware police officers fatally shot an armed man in a wheelchair after responding to a call that he had a self-inflicted gunshot wound, authorities say. It showed the man lift himself somewhat in his wheelchair a couple of times and then a dozen or so shots rang out.

The uncle of a man in a wheelchair who was shot to death by police says the shooting was “an execution” by officers.

Police said they were called to the scene in Wilmington to reports of an armed man who had shot himself.

They say he had already shot himself prior to them coming to the scene and had a handgun, which they had ordered him to drop.

The man was identified as 28-year-old Jeremy “Bam” McDowell, according to Robert Bovell, who knows the family. After McDowell refused to drop his weapon, Wilmington, Del., police shot him multiple times.

Several offices stood between the crowd and the man. The man ended up leaving after an officer asked him to leave the scene.

McDowell had been in a wheelchair since being shot and paralyzed when he was 18, Anthony said. “They could have knocked him out of his wheelchair”.

Police Chief Bobby Cummings and Mayor Dennis Williams have announced a news conference on Thursday afternoon to talk about the events. The agency investigates all police shootings that result in injury or death.

In July, a report released by Delaware Attorney General Matt Denn cleared the officers of any wrongdoing, saying the shooting was justified.

Justice officials will conduct the investigation “as quickly as possible in order to provide an account of the incident to the public”, he said, noting that the state Department of Justice has the legal responsibility to determine whether criminal charges should be filed.

This coverage contains material initially reported by reporters Brittany Horn, Esteban Parra and Jenna Pizzi.