Family of man fatally shot by Wilmington police call for transparency as investigation continues
WILMINGTON, Del. (WPVI) -- The family of a 19-year-old man fatally shot by a Wilmington police officer is calling for greater transparency in the investigation, saying they have yet to see body camera footage more than a week after the shooting.
Family members of Kadir Skinner, joined by civil rights attorney Ben Crump and attorney Harry Daniels, spoke at a news conference Thursday at Shiloh Baptist Church in Wilmington, eight days after Skinner was killed by a police officer on June 24.
Skinner's mother, Rashai Skinner, spoke emotionally about her son and her determination to seek answers.
"I named him Kadir because it means powerful. His middle name is Asad, which means lion. You guys, the police, have woken up a lioness and I will not stop fighting for my cub," she said.
The family said the Wilmington Police Department and the mayor's office have not been forthcoming with body-worn camera footage from the night of the shooting.
"We're going to get answers. We're going to get answers," Crump said during the news conference.
Police have said Skinner was seen pointing a gun into a crowd and running when an officer fired, striking him in the upper buttocks.
Daniels disputed that account.
"There have been reports that Kadir came out with a gun and pointed into the crowd. We have eyewitnesses that directly contradicts that statement," Daniels said.
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As the family buried Skinner on Thursday, relatives questioned both the legality and justification of the shooting.
"His name will not die in vain. We will never let this go," said Skinner's sister, Aniyah Clark.
Despite offers from the mayor's office and police department to show body camera footage to the family, relatives said their calls to arrange a meeting have gone unanswered.
Action News is reaching out to the city for comment.
The shooting remains under investigation by the Wilmington Police Department and the Delaware Department of Justice.
