Cops fatally shoot deaf man despite ‘warnings’

Chicago, Sept. 22: The police in Oklahoma came under intense scrutiny for fatally shooting a deaf man who failed to respond to their commands, even as neighbours were alerting officers of the man’s disability.

Officers went to the Oklahoma City home of Magdiel Sanchez looking for his father on Thursday, who was involved in a hit-andrun car accident. They instead killed the 35year-old who could neither hear nor speak, according to witnesses.

Neighbours said they were trying to intervene by yelling “he can’t hear you,” to prevent the shooting, but the police did not heed warnings.

“As the police pulled up, we were all... screaming at the cops not to shoot,” neighbour Julio Rayos said.

Oklahoma’s deaf community questioned the police use of deadly force, while the American Civil Liberties Union offered a scathing rebuke. “Magdiel Sanchez was shot at his own home, without having committed any crime,” said the ACLU’s Allie Shinn. “Merely failing to follow commands is an unacceptable defense for the use of lethal force.”

Sanchez was holding in his right hand a twofoot metal pipe with a leather loop. Police said they believe the object was designed to be a weapon. Sanchez did not respond to officers’ commands to drop the pipe, and Lieutenant Matthew Lindsey fired a Taser while Sergeant Christopher Barnes fired his gun. Sanchez died at the scene.