New Footage Exposes California Police Killing 15-Year-Old Unarmed Kidnapping Victim In 2022, Contradicts Earlier Statements About Shooting
New video released by law enforcement shows the moment that police in California fatally shot an unarmed 15-year-old girl who had been reported missing.
On Sept. 27, 2022, an Amber Alert was issued for 15-year-old Savannah Graziano, who was believed to have been kidnapped by her father, 45-year-old Anthony John Graziano, after he killed her mother, Tracy Martinez, the day prior, according to Los Angeles-based outlet ABC7.
After his truck was spotted, Anthony Graziano was pulled over, but fired on officer vehicles and led sheriff’s deputies on a lengthy chase, over 70 miles, in which multiple gunshots were fired at deputies and other motorists, with multiple witnesses claiming that shots were fired from the passenger side of the vehicle.
The day after the shooting, the sheriff’s department indicated Savannah was “a participant in shooting at our deputies,” and with the release of the footage, the department updated their narrative of the event, saying that gunfire came from the passenger side, without confirming who fired the shots.
Additionally, police previously stated that Savannah Graziano was wearing “tactical gear” at the time of the shooting, namely body armor and a helmet, but aerial footage of the incident could not confirm that.
The disturbing footage, released a year and a half after the incident, shows Savannah Graziano slowly approaching officers along the 15 Freeway in Hesperia, CA, before the officers open fire on the vehicle and strike Savannah in the crossfire.
WARNING: THE FOLLOWING FOOTAGE IS GRAPHIC IN NATURE.
In the footage, part of which is recorded from a helicopter viewing the scene, The teen can be seen getting out of the vehicle, as an officer says over the radio, “The girl’s out, the female juvie is out. She’s out on the passenger side.”
Deputies were not wearing body cameras at the time of the incident, but were wearing audio belts, allowing for some audio of the incident from the ground to be recorded.
“Passenger, get out! Come here! Come to me! Come, come, come … walk, walk, walk,” says one deputy,
Video of the incident from ABC7 states that while that deputy was ordering her to come toward them, other deputies at a higher elevation and different viewpoint only saw someone exit the vehicle and move toward deputies, and they opened fire.
“You can hear him calling her over and telling other deputies that the person who exited the truck was the passenger and for them to stop firing, but it was too late,” says the ABC7 report.
As the teen was shot, police in the helicopter could be heard saying, “oh no.”
When other police officers open fire on her, he begins yelling, “Stop shooting her! He’s in the car! Stop! She’s OK! He’s in the car! … Stop!”
After Savannah had been shot multiple times, deputies attempted to transport her to the hospital, but she was pronounced dead soon after. Anthony Graziano was pronounced dead at the scene.
Multiple firearms were later recovered from the vehicle, as well as hundreds of rounds of ammunition, flash bang and smoke grenades, body armor and tactical helmets, the department said. Additionally, four sheriff’s department vehicles were struck by gunfire during the incident.
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