People Are Outraged That Police Killed an Unarmed Deaf Man Outside His Home

Police in Charlotte, NC, are facing community uproar after an unarmed deaf man was killed by a highway patrol officer outside his home. On Aug. 18, 29-year-old Daniel Harris was driving home when officers attempted to pull him over for speeding, according to local news reports. Harris did not immediately stop, leading police to follow him home, roughly seven miles from when they first signaled. Neighbors who saw part of the incident unfold said that when Harris exited the car outside his home, he was "almost immediately" killed. It's unclear whether Harris, the father of a 3-year-old, knew he had been followed by police, but neighbors added that he seemed to be signing to the officers when he was shot.

Sergeant Michael Baker of the Charlotte Highway Patrol did not disclose much about the incident, including whether Harris and the trooper had communicated during the brief time between Harris exited his car and was shot. Baker did say that the trooper was placed on administrative leave, according to CNN.

Members of the community are disturbed by the killing and questioning why a gun was used when Harris had reportedly not displayed threatening motions. Mark Barringer, Harris's neighbor, spoke to NBC Charlotte about the shooting, saying, "They should've deescalated and been trained to realize that this is an entirely different situation, you're pulling someone over who is deaf, they are handicapped."

Other people have echoed Barringer's sentiment on social media. Black Lives Matter activists have also expressed their support for Harris and his family. Here are some reactions to his death from Twitter.

Like the widely reported killings of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile this Summer, Harris's death puts a spotlight on the question of excessive use of force by police. Once again, many are asking, "Should officers be trained to kill? Can they prioritize other tactics instead of first reaching for a gun?"

While police departments are not required to report when they kill civilians, The Washington Post has independently tracked that number. In 2016, 615 civilians have been killed by police; in 2015, that number was 990.

Harris's family has set up a YouCaring page where you can donate to help cover the cost of his funeral; leftover donations will be used to set up a fund in his memory "to educate and provide law enforcement proper training on how to confront Deaf people."

Here is a video from WSOCTV Charlotte that shows where the shooting took place and interviews with neighbors.