MAY CONTINUE. WE’RE GOING TO FOLLOW THIS CLOSELY. OF COURSE, WE’LL KEEP YOU POSTED ON THE
PROSECUTION TEAMS NEXT STEP.
WELL IT IS NOW BEEN 24 HOURS
SINCE THE DETROIT POLICE
DEPARTMENT RELEASED THE BODY CAM
VIDEO OF THAT SHOOTING THAT LEFT
A YOUNG MAN DEAD LAST WEEKEND.
OFFICERS WERE CALLED TO THE WEST
SIDE SUNDAY BECAUSE 22 YEAR OLD
PORTER BIRKS WAS HAVING A MENTAL
HEALTH CRISIS WALKING AROUND
WITH A KNIFE ON THE STREET. THE
VIDEO SHOWED OFFICERS BEGGING
HIM TO DROP THE KNIFE. POLICE
SAY HE DID NOT AND THEN CHARGED
AT THE OFFICERS. FIVE OF THEM
OPENED FIRE SHOOTING 38 BULLETS
TODAY WE’RE TRYING TO UNDERSTAND
WHAT HAPPENED TO PORTER BROOKS,
OUR POLITICS WOMAN HAS BEEN
TALKING TO EXPERTS ABOUT A VERY
COMPLICATED EQUATION WITH THE
LIFE AND DEATH CONSEQUENCES.
PAULA. HI, KAREN. HI EVERYBODY.
FIRST OF ALL, I WANT YOU TO KNOW
THAT THIS INVESTIGATION IS NOT
OVER. I JUST GOT BACK DOWNSTAIRS
FROM AN EXCLUSIVE ONE ON ONE
INTERVIEW WITH THE CHIEF OF
POLICE ARE STILL UNCOVERING
THINGS. THE FIRST THING THAT WAS
UNCOVERED IS THAT PERHAPS NOT
ALL FIVE OFFICERS EVEN FIRED
THEIR WEAPONS. SO THAT WAS THE
FIRST THING THAT CAME OUT OF OUR
CONVERSATION. HOWEVER 38 SHOTS
WERE INDEED FIRED A YOUNG MAN
WITH NO MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES IS
DEAD, AND IT RAISES A WHOLE LOT
OF OTHER QUESTIONS. HE WAS
MENTALLY YOU SCARED? FRANEK
ACCORDING TO HIS FAMILY WAS
SICK. HE HAD A DISEASE CALLED
MENTAL ILLNESS. YOU HAVE IT ON
THE RECORD ON DOCUMENTATION FROM
THE DOCTOR WHEN POLICE ARRIVE ON
THE SCENE SUNDAY, OCTOBER 2ND AT
FIVE IN THE MORNING, THE FRANTIC
BROTHER OF PORTER BURKE’S
APPROACHES THEM LITTLE BROTHER.
HE KILLED EACH FOR SOME FRANTIC
AND YOU HAVE A KNIFE. POLICE HIS
BROTHER IS HAVING A MENTAL
EPISODE IS ARMED WITH A KNIFE
AND IS DANGEROUS, HE SAYS. THOSE
WORDS IT SETS OFF A CHAIN OF
EVENTS WITH AN EQUATION PERSON
IN ACUTE MENTAL CRISIS PLUS
POLICE OFFICERS IN AN ACUTE
CRISIS. CONFRONTATION EQUALS BUT
THE MATH. ISN’T THAT EASY. WHAT
WOULD YOU DO? WHAT WOULD YOU DO?
WHAT WOULD I UNTIL YOU’RE
CONFRONTED WITH THAT SITUATION?
YOU COME UP AND YOU’RE LIKE, HEY
, GOTTA COOL IT. PUT THE KNIFE
DOWN. PLEASE. PLEASE PLEASE,
PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE. OH,
OKAY. YOU LISTEN TO ME. CAN YOU
JUST SET THAT KNIFE DOWN AND
WE’LL TALK? I PROMISE HERE,
WE’LL PUT EVERYTHING AWAY. WE
JUST NEED YOU TO DROP THE KNIFE.
STEVE DOLAN, RETIRED DPD,
ASSISTANT POLICE CHIEF IN LOCAL
4 ANALYSTS, EXPLAINS S O PS
STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES IN
THE CASE OF AN EMINENT THREAT
OFFICES ARE TRAINED TO STOP THE
THREAT, WHETHER THAT’S ONE SHOT
OR MORE ASSESS, BUT STOP THE
THREAT. IN THIS CASE, A TOTAL OF
FOUR OFFICERS POSSIBLY FIFTH
OFFICER, ACCORDING TO THE CHIEF
OF POLICE TODAY FIRED A TOTAL OF
38 SHOTS STRIKING PORTER BERKS
NUMEROUS TIMES. A TOTAL OF 15
WOUNDS COUNTED BUT STILL UNDER
INVESTIGATION IS HOW MANY WERE
INDIVIDUAL BULLET WOUNDS THAT
SAID THE 22 YEAR OLD WAS FATALLY
SHOT BY DETROIT POLICE
SYMPATHETIC FIRE. YOU FIRE YOUR
WEAPON, AND YOU DON’T REALIZE
YOU’RE STILL FIRING. PEOPLE FIND
THAT IT’S NO WAY THAT COULD
HAPPEN. BUT NUMEROUS INTERVIEWS
BECAUSE I’VE DONE IT. I’VE ASKED
THE OFFICER HOW MANY TIMES YOU
FIRE TWICE. THAT’S WEIRD CLIP IS
EMPTY. NO, I ONLY FIRED TWICE.
BECAUSE THEY’RE IN THE MINDSET
JUST KEEP PULLING THE TRIGGER
NOW CREATES ANOTHER
UNCOMFORTABLE CALCULATION. IS IT
SAFE TO CALL POLICE WHEN SOMEONE
IS MENTALLY ILL? BECAUSE EVEN
WITH CRISIS INTERVENTION
TRAINING, OR C I T OF WHICH ONE
OF THOSE OFFICERS HAD 48 HOURS
WORTH OF TRAINING WHAT HAPPENS
IN ADRENALINE INDUCED FOG AND
WHAT IS A FRANTIC FAMILY TO DO?
I HATE TO SAY IF ANYONE OUT HERE
THAT HAVE A FAMILY MEMBER
ALLOWED ONE OR EVEN NEVER,
THAT’S SUFFERING FROM MENTAL
ILLNESS. HELP THEM YOURSELF.
NOT MAKING. DON’T CALL FOR HELP.
AND THAT REALLY IS THE GREAT BIG
ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM RIGHT NOW.
AS I MENTIONED, I JUST SPOKE TO
CHIEF WHITE AND I ASKED HIM THAT
QUESTION POINT BLANK. NO PUN
INTENDED POINT BLANK. IS IT SAFE
TO CALL POLICE IF YOU HAVE
SOMEONE WHO’S IN AN ACUTE MENTAL
ILLNESS EPISODE AND THEY COULD
BE CONSIDERED DANGEROUS. THAT
STORY IS COMING UP AT FIVE,
KAREN, BUT WE LOOK FORWARD TO