911 caller arrested

after cops gun down

unarmed black teen

By Stephen C. Webster

Thursday, March 29, 2012

At a press conference Wednesday in Pasadena, California, police announced that they have arrested a man who called 911 earlier this week, claiming he’d been robbed a gunpoint by two black teens. Police responded to the incident with deadly force, killing 19-year-old college student Kendrec McDade after he fled from officers.

The 911 caller, Oscar Carillo, allegedly admitted under questioning that he lied about the firearm to trigger a faster police response.

Police claim that once they cornered McDade, he reached for his waistband. Believing he was armed, two officers opened fire and hit the teen multiple times. He died a short time later at Huntington Hospital.

Speaking to reporters, Pasadena Police Chief Philip Sanchez insisted that the 911 call had “set the minds of the officers,” who were then looking for someone matching McDade’s description.

Sanchez called McDade’s killing “absolutely tragic,” adding that under questioning following his arrest, Carillo admitted he lied about the weapon.

No stolen goods or a firearm were found on McDade, but another suspect has been charged with burglary and theft. Carillo was arrested on suspicion of involuntary manslaughter, and the two officers involved in the shooting have been placed on leave.

This video is from CBS 2 in Los Angeles, broadcast Wednesday, March 28, 2012.

 

 

 

Stephen C. Webster

Stephen C. Webster is the senior editor of Raw Story, and is based out of Austin, Texas. He previously worked as the associate editor of The Lone Star Iconoclast in Crawford, Texas, where he covered state politics and the peace movement’s resurgence at the start of the Iraq war. Webster has also contributed to publications such as True/Slant, Austin Monthly, The Dallas Business Journal, The Dallas Morning News, Fort Worth Weekly, The News Connection and others. Follow him on Twitter at @StephenCWebster.