Police decline to release Charles Byers shooting footage [Video]

Byers was carrying a hatchet when the officers arrived, refused to drop it when instructed to do so and did not respond to attempts to de-escalate the situation, according to police. Police also said the deployment of a taser was “not effective” on Byers, and said he advanced on the officers, prompting them to open fire.

But an attorney for Byers’ family disputes the police’s account of events, and said Byers was shot while backing away and then fleeing from the officers.

Access to footage denied

Chesterfield authorities on April 2 announced they had closed the investigation into Byers’ death and would not be filing criminal charges against the officers involved in the incident. The Richmond Times-Dispatch on April 3 submitted a Freedom of Information Act request for the body-camera footage of the incident.

The FOIA request initially was denied on the grounds that the investigation into the incident was ongoing. When a Times-Dispatch …