(ReliableNews.org) – Anthony Graziano, 45, kidnapped his daughter, Savannah Graziano, 15, in 2022. Instead of rescuing the teen, California police shot and killed her. Law enforcement officials have now released the video of the shooting.
On September 27, 2022, San Bernardino County Sheriff’s deputies found Anthony Graziano. He’d kidnapped his teenage daughter the day before, after allegedly killing his estranged wife. Following a high-speed chase, a deputy was able to get Savannah out of the vehicle and began instructing her to walk back to him.
The department recently released a video of the incident showing what happened. The deputy shouted, “Come to me! Come to me! Walk, walk, walk, walk, walk!” Seconds later, he frantically yells at other officers who’d opened fire on the child. He tells them to “stop shooting her,” saying her father, the suspected murderer, was in the car.
The preliminary report from the sheriff’s department described the 15-year-old as a “participant” in the hours after the shooting. They suggested that she might have fired at the law enforcement officers as they approached Anthony Graziano’s vehicle.
San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department posted audio and video recordings online after receiving public record requests. The department didn’t respond to any questions about the incident and referred reporters to the California Department of Justice, which is investigating the fatal shooting. The state’s Justice Department also did not answer any questions.
According to The Washington Post, deputies on the ground and in the air viewed what happened differently. There was confusion about the role Savahhah played even though the only reason officers stopped the truck she was in was because a gas station attendant called them after spotting her and seeing an Amber Alert about her.
When officers were chasing the suspect, deputies in the air reported that he was firing out the driver’s window. However, a deputy on the ground and other motorists said the passenger was firing at police.
When Savannah exited the vehicle to get help from the police, she was wearing a tactical helmet and plate vest. The audio revealed the conflicting reactions of the officer trying to help her and the ones who opened fire on her.
Savannah died at the hospital. Her father died on the scene.
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