Michigan officer overcome with tears after fatally shooting teen in viral video
Authorities in Flint say 19-year-old Briana Sykes shot first from her car at a police officer working its Juneteenth parade route
The Michigan officer who shot and killed a 19-year-old woman during a Juneteenth parade in Flint was later spotted breaking down in tears after the shooting.
The woman who was fatally shot has been identified as Briana Sykes. Michigan State Police have said witnesses confirmed that Sykes drove up to an officer directing traffic Saturday and fired at him. The unnamed officer returned fire, striking her, and Sykes later died from her injuries.
A local report from ABC 12 says an anonymous witness saw the officer tumble to the ground immediately after the shooting, weeping.
The video was shared to Twitter by an account called The Citizen Reporter.
No one else was injured in the shooting, and the results of the investigation will be turned over to the Genesee County Prosecutor’s Office, which will decide if any charges will be filed.
As previously reported, Sykes was shot and killed in the course of Flint’s three-day Juneteenth celebration during the Champions Parade, which featured local athletic standouts and community leaders.
“We will honor our ancestors, highlight our heritage, celebrate our community all weekend and rejoice in our solidarity,” said April Cook-Hawkins, one of the organizers who helped coordinate the weekend festival, in a pre-event press release. “We are working together to make sure that this year’s celebration of Juneteenth is bigger and better than ever before in the City of Flint. Seeing so many brothers and sisters come together to create a variety of celebrations this year — the first year Juneteenth is an official Flint holiday — is especially meaningful.”
In a local video report, one resident recounted the shooting, saying, “I saw an officer maybe 10 feet to the left of me in front of a car with his gun out. I didn’t see if anybody shot out of the car, but I did see the officer shoot into the car, and I could tell that he, from his look, like, he mortally wounded somebody. He instantly fell to the ground crying because I felt like he didn’t want to do whatever he had to do.”
Have you subscribed to theGrio’s “Dear Culture” podcast? Download our newest episodes now!
TheGrio is now on Apple TV, Amazon Fire and Roku. Download theGrio.com today!
More About:News
You Might Like
