Death by Cop 2021-2025
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Dante Kittrell
Age : 51
Gender : Male
Race : Black
Date : 07/29/2022
Location : 1200 block of N Sheridan Street
City : South Bend
County : St. Joseph
State : Indiana
Agency : South Bend Police Department
Officer(s) :Not Disclosed
Cause of Death : Gunshot
Event : Killed by police during mental health crisis
OPEN RECORDS SUMMARY :
On 07/29/2022, officers with the South Bend Police Department responded to a mental health crisis at a residence in the 1200 block of North Sheridan Street after receiving reports that Dante Kittrell was suicidal and had access to a firearm.
Officers spent several minutes attempting to negotiate with Kittrell before the encounter turned fatal. According to police, Kittrell pointed what they believed to be a handgun at officers, who then opened fire. Kittrell was struck multiple times and died at the scene.
Investigators later determined that the object Kittrell was holding was not a firearm but a black lighter designed to resemble a handgun. Body-worn camera footage released after the shooting captured officers attempting to negotiate with Kittrell before the shots were fired.
The St. Joseph County Prosecutor's Office concluded that the officers' use of deadly force was legally justified because they reasonably believed Kittrell posed an imminent threat, despite the object ultimately being determined to be a lighter.
Kittrell's death prompted vigils and protests in South Bend. Black clergy, community leaders, and family members questioned the police response to a mental health crisis, called for greater transparency and accountability, and urged the city to expand alternatives to armed police responses for people experiencing mental health emergencies.
SOURCE LINKS :
https://www.wndu.com/2022/08/02/community-leaders-call-action-after-death-dante-kittrell/
