South Bend community groups react to body camera footage in Kittrell shooting

SOUTH BEND — As community activists process newly released body camera footage in the fatal shooting of Dante Kittrell, some still question the police department's response to the incident and say the video makes clear the need for mental health crisis teams.

Members of Faith in Indiana and Black Lives Matter South Bend also said they were not surprised by St. Joseph County Prosecutor Ken Cotter’s determination that the shooting was a justifiable homicide.

The body and dash camera footage depicts a tense, 40-minute standoff between Kittrell and police where the 51-year-old repeatedly asks and prods police to shoot him as he apparently goes through a mental health emergency.

More on Dante Kittrell:Community leaders call for action in remembrance of Dante Kittrell

The videos have been posted to the police department’s website and include roughly 45 minutes of footage from two officers — Randall Goering and Anthony Dertz — who were on scene as well as dash camera footage from the car of officer Joseph Mitchell. Police on Wednesday said those three officers, along with Sgt. Neil Graber, fired their weapons at Kittrell during the encounter and are on paid administrative leave.

An investigation by St. Joseph County and Mishawaka police found Kittrell was carrying a replica Glock airsoft pistol when he was killed.

At a Wednesday press conference South Bend Police Chief Scott Ruszkowski and Mayor James Mueller backed the actions officers took, saying they followed department policies requiring deadly force only be used as a “last resort.”

"When I was watching the video, I tried to nitpick and find where would the officers do this or that. This was an impossible situation our officers found themselves in," Mueller said. "He was, unfortunately, determined to end his life that day.”

Others, however, feel the footage reinforced their view that police weren’t equipped to handle the situation.

“The police department did what they are trained to do. My position is they are not equipped, they are not trained to interact with … any mentally ill person but, in particular, an African-American man,” the Rev. J.B. Williams said.

During the standoff

Williams was present during the July 29 encounter near Coquillard Elementary School and he and others have said publicly that officers could have turned to assembled clergy to help the situation.

In body camera footage from approximately 12:16 p.m. Williams can be heard addressing Kittrell for around two minutes and asking him to talk. Kittrell appears to recognize Williams, but he continues his ranting.

“I ain’t going to shoot over there Pastor. I want one of these (expletives) to kill me,” Kittrell says at one point.

Throughout the encounter Kittrell also appeared fixated on the time of 12:42 and asked officers at multiple points what time it was. At 12:19 p.m., Kittrell asks what time it is and Williams responds, saying, “It’s time Dante.”

Williams said he intended to say “It’s time for us to talk” but wasn’t able to elaborate after being asked to move behind his car by an officer.

Justified homicide:City officials release body camera footage of fatal Dante Kittrell shooting

Jorden Giger, a leader with Black Lives Matter, also has been vocal about the need for mobile crisis units and not police to respond to mental health emergencies. After watching the video, Giger said he felt the crisis negotiator who spoke with Kittell had good intentions.

“In hearing the audio of the negotiator, I didn’t get the impression she wanted to kill him. My impression is that she definitely did not want him to harm himself or for him to be harmed,” Giger said.

Giger, Williams and many others in the community also have questioned why police didn’t allow Kittrell’s mother, who was nearby, to come and speak to her son. Marcia Kittrell, his mother, does not appear in body-camera footage of the encounter, though at approximately 12:16 p.m., Kittrell says, “That’s the thing about it, every (expletive) body but my (expletive) family knows I’m a good-(expletive) person.”

Williams and Giger mentioned that the African-American community, especially, views mothers as a calming force. Williams maintained Kittrell hearing his mother’s voice would have helped, though Giger said that after watching the video, he doesn’t know what would have happened.

Sean Drew, an attorney who represents Kittrell’s family, including his mother, Marcia, did not return a phone call requesting comment Thursday. Drew said Wednesday the family was “disappointed” but unsurprised by the prosecutor’s decision not to file criminal charges.

Ruszkowski did not address why police didn’t involve Kittrell’s mother on-record at Wednesday’s press conference. However, Ruszkowski did say that officers didn’t use Tasers because Kittrell was out of range and added that a nonlethal beanbag gun wasn’t an option because hurting, but not incapacitating, an agitated person believed to have a gun would make the situation worse.

The police chief also said a SWAT vehicle was called up, once Kittrell had pulled out what appeared to be a gun, to act as a barrier between officers, bystanders and Kittrell.

Community responds

Ruszkowski and Mueller also expressed frustrations Wednesday about “false narratives” being circulated in the community.

“You would think out of a traumatic tragedy, the community would come together. Instead, what were the loudest voices that came first? They tried to divide us,” Mueller said during the press conference.

Giger said he’s used to city leaders making “disparaging comments” about activist groups and feels some animosity could have been avoided if the body camera footage was released sooner.

“Had they been willing to release those videos and given everyone a chance to see that evidence, perhaps there could have been a different level of discussion,” Giger said.

When asked about the timeline of footage being released on Wednesday, Ruszkowski said he was “frustrated” it took so long, but emphasized the department had to wait for the criminal investigation to conclude.

With the investigation closed, both city leaders and activists have said they want to turn their attention to creating some form of mental health response teams. Mueller has emphasized that unarmed mental health clinicians would never be solely responsible for dealing with calls involving weapons.

Giger said he agrees and feels the city should focus on working out a co-response system where officers arrive to secure a scene while mental health workers follow and work to de-escalate the situation.

Email Marek Mazurek at mmazurek@sbtinfo.com. Follow him on Twitter: @marek_mazurek

This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: South Bend groups react to body cam footage in Dante Kittrell shooting