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| Witnesses testify William Chapman was shot after charging at officer | Witnesses testify William Chapman was shot after charging at officer |
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| Construction workers testified on Monday that an unarmed black 18-year-old in southern Virginia was shot dead after charging at a police officer with his arms raised. | Construction workers testified on Monday that an unarmed black 18-year-old in southern Virginia was shot dead after charging at a police officer with his arms raised. |
| The men, who were building a convenience store nearby when William Chapman was fatally shot by officer Stephen Rankin in April 2015, contradicted an account given by a previous witness, who insisted that Chapman did not charge. | The men, who were building a convenience store nearby when William Chapman was fatally shot by officer Stephen Rankin in April 2015, contradicted an account given by a previous witness, who insisted that Chapman did not charge. |
| “He was aggressive, he was charging the officer,” said Paul Akey, a crane operator, who was part of a team from Delaware constructing the Wawa store in Portsmouth. “He was throwing fists like he was street fighting.” | “He was aggressive, he was charging the officer,” said Paul Akey, a crane operator, who was part of a team from Delaware constructing the Wawa store in Portsmouth. “He was throwing fists like he was street fighting.” |
| Rankin is charged with first-degree murder and illegally using a firearm to commit a felony for his early-morning shooting of Chapman in the parking lot of a Walmart superstore on 22 April last year. Rankin was responding to a call from a store security officer reporting that Chapman was suspected of shoplifting. | Rankin is charged with first-degree murder and illegally using a firearm to commit a felony for his early-morning shooting of Chapman in the parking lot of a Walmart superstore on 22 April last year. Rankin was responding to a call from a store security officer reporting that Chapman was suspected of shoplifting. |
| Rankin, 36, denies the charges and argues that he fired in self-defense. In 2011, he killed another unarmed man in the city. He was terminated from his job in the police department after his indictment by a grand jury for shooting Chapman. | Rankin, 36, denies the charges and argues that he fired in self-defense. In 2011, he killed another unarmed man in the city. He was terminated from his job in the police department after his indictment by a grand jury for shooting Chapman. |
| Portsmouth circuit court has heard from several witnesses that Chapman swung around and tried to break free after Rankin apprehended him, placed him over the hood of a patrol car and began to handcuff him. The two then struggled physically, but accounts differ on what happened from that point. | Portsmouth circuit court has heard from several witnesses that Chapman swung around and tried to break free after Rankin apprehended him, placed him over the hood of a patrol car and began to handcuff him. The two then struggled physically, but accounts differ on what happened from that point. |
| Steve Price, who said he was about eight feet off the ground operating a scissor lift at the Wawa site, told jurors Chapman was “waving his arms around like he was trying to throw punches” and that Rankin countered with his own. Price and Akey said Chapman appeared to swipe a Taser from Rankin’s hands, and that the pair then separated. | Steve Price, who said he was about eight feet off the ground operating a scissor lift at the Wawa site, told jurors Chapman was “waving his arms around like he was trying to throw punches” and that Rankin countered with his own. Price and Akey said Chapman appeared to swipe a Taser from Rankin’s hands, and that the pair then separated. |
| “I saw the officer draw his weapon and the man was just throwing his arms up like he wanted to fight,” said Price. “He threw his jacket off and he proceeded to the officer kind of aggressively like he wasn’t done fighting.” He too used the word “charging” to describe Chapman’s actions. | “I saw the officer draw his weapon and the man was just throwing his arms up like he wanted to fight,” said Price. “He threw his jacket off and he proceeded to the officer kind of aggressively like he wasn’t done fighting.” He too used the word “charging” to describe Chapman’s actions. |
| The testimony from the construction workers, who are white, for Rankin’s defense was markedly different from that given last week by Gregory Provo, the Walmart security officer, and Sandra Tynes, a customer who said she witnessed part of the incident from her car. Provo and Tynes are black. | The testimony from the construction workers, who are white, for Rankin’s defense was markedly different from that given last week by Gregory Provo, the Walmart security officer, and Sandra Tynes, a customer who said she witnessed part of the incident from her car. Provo and Tynes are black. |
| Provo, who said he was right beside Rankin when the officer opened fire, said Chapman was shot from about five yards after taking a boxing-style stance and asking mockingly: “Are you going to fucking shoot me?” Provo told jurors: “He never charged, he just made a gesture.” | Provo, who said he was right beside Rankin when the officer opened fire, said Chapman was shot from about five yards after taking a boxing-style stance and asking mockingly: “Are you going to fucking shoot me?” Provo told jurors: “He never charged, he just made a gesture.” |
| Tynes, who was in the Walmart parking lot, said the struggle between Chapman and Rankin consisted of shoving back and forth rather than punches being thrown. | Tynes, who was in the Walmart parking lot, said the struggle between Chapman and Rankin consisted of shoving back and forth rather than punches being thrown. |
| On Monday Rankin’s attorneys, James Broccoletti and Nicole Belote, elicited testimony from the construction workers that Provo was in fact not up close to the shooting site when the shots were fired. A partial video recording by Rankin’s Taser shows Provo close to Rankin at least in the moments after the shooting. | On Monday Rankin’s attorneys, James Broccoletti and Nicole Belote, elicited testimony from the construction workers that Provo was in fact not up close to the shooting site when the shots were fired. A partial video recording by Rankin’s Taser shows Provo close to Rankin at least in the moments after the shooting. |
| Brandon Wrobleski, an assistant commonwealth’s attorney, tried to undercut the testimony from the construction workers by pointing out differences, errors and omissions between the three separate statements they each gave to investigators. | Brandon Wrobleski, an assistant commonwealth’s attorney, tried to undercut the testimony from the construction workers by pointing out differences, errors and omissions between the three separate statements they each gave to investigators. |
| In aggressive questioning, the young prosecutor suggested to Price that the construction workers had given their first interviews to Portsmouth officers in front of one another, implying that their individual recollections might have eventually merged into one identical account following discussions. | In aggressive questioning, the young prosecutor suggested to Price that the construction workers had given their first interviews to Portsmouth officers in front of one another, implying that their individual recollections might have eventually merged into one identical account following discussions. |
| “The whole crew was around,” said Wrobleski. | “The whole crew was around,” said Wrobleski. |
| “No sir,” said Price. “We were singled out.” | “No sir,” said Price. “We were singled out.” |
| Price did confirm, however, that between giving different statements to investigators he had watched a YouTube video of an interview about the incident that Akey gave to television reporters. | Price did confirm, however, that between giving different statements to investigators he had watched a YouTube video of an interview about the incident that Akey gave to television reporters. |
| Akey and Price were repeatedly unclear about their distance from the shooting, with estimates varying from 100ft to 1,000ft and 50 yards to 150 yards. Akey testified that Chapman appeared “husky and muscular” yet Wrobleski pointed out that medical examiner Wendy Gunther last week described the 18-year-old as “skinny”. | Akey and Price were repeatedly unclear about their distance from the shooting, with estimates varying from 100ft to 1,000ft and 50 yards to 150 yards. Akey testified that Chapman appeared “husky and muscular” yet Wrobleski pointed out that medical examiner Wendy Gunther last week described the 18-year-old as “skinny”. |
| Wrobleski also pointed out that both Akey and Price described Chapman as ripping off his shirt, despite the fact Chapman was still wearing his T-shirt and hoodie when he died. | Wrobleski also pointed out that both Akey and Price described Chapman as ripping off his shirt, despite the fact Chapman was still wearing his T-shirt and hoodie when he died. |
| “If I showed you a photograph of the young man deceased with his jacket on, would that change your testimony?” asked Wrobleski. | “If I showed you a photograph of the young man deceased with his jacket on, would that change your testimony?” asked Wrobleski. |
| “No,” said Price. | “No,” said Price. |
| Akey even said it appeared Chapman was ripping at his shirt to try to get rid of a barb that was shot from Rankin’s Taser. Yet the jury has heard how Rankin actually shocked Chapman at close range using the weapon’s “drive stun” mode, which does not use electrified barbs. Wrobleski pointed out that Akey had not mentioned a Taser at all in his interview immediately after the shooting. | Akey even said it appeared Chapman was ripping at his shirt to try to get rid of a barb that was shot from Rankin’s Taser. Yet the jury has heard how Rankin actually shocked Chapman at close range using the weapon’s “drive stun” mode, which does not use electrified barbs. Wrobleski pointed out that Akey had not mentioned a Taser at all in his interview immediately after the shooting. |
| The crane operator, who said he was stationed in his cab about 15ft from the ground, also testified firmly that Rankin “was not” administering CPR to Chapman after the shooting, after a series of witnesses testified that he did this immediately. | The crane operator, who said he was stationed in his cab about 15ft from the ground, also testified firmly that Rankin “was not” administering CPR to Chapman after the shooting, after a series of witnesses testified that he did this immediately. |
| After Price told jurors Chapman had been “resisting arrest”, Wrobleski went on the offensive, informing Price that this was in fact a crime defined under Virginia law. | After Price told jurors Chapman had been “resisting arrest”, Wrobleski went on the offensive, informing Price that this was in fact a crime defined under Virginia law. |
| “The maximum sentence is 12 months in jail,” said Wrobleski. “Not two shots to the heart and face.” | “The maximum sentence is 12 months in jail,” said Wrobleski. “Not two shots to the heart and face.” |