The man shot and killed by San Jose police earlier this week was the suspect in an armed robbery that occurred in March and was armed when he confronted the officer who shot him, according to San Jose police Chief Anthony Mata.
On Monday evening, Demetrius Stanley, armed with a handgun, approached a parked, unmarked vehicle the undercover officer was sitting in on Tofts Drive and opened the door before he was shot, Mata said during a news conference Wednesday morning.
SJPD showed surveillance video of the incident up until the moment the officer fired.
Two undercover officers in plain clothes were at the scene on Tofts Drive, in the city's Berryessa neighborhood, when they were confronted by Stanley, Mata said.
Upon seeing Stanley walking towards him, one of the officers ran away from the scene while the other officer remained seated in an unmarked vehicle parked on the street, Mata said. When Stanley walked past the vehicle and noticed it was occupied, he turned back and opened the driver's side door.
He then pointed his handgun at the officer, who shot Stanley, Mata said. The gun later was determined to be unregistered and non-serialized, or what is referred to as a "ghost gun," he said.
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Neither officer had identified themselves as police, Mata confirmed, saying they didn't have time or opportunity in the rapid sequence of events. Mata said they weren't there to arrest Stanley and had not anticipated a confrontation with him.
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The officers were at the scene to confirm Stanley's home address and identify his vehicle in a March armed robbery, Mata said. Their identities were not released.
Family and friends believe Stanley saw strangers in his neighborhood and was protecting himself, his home and family. They gathered with community members Tuesday night and marched along Highway 87 in San Jose to protest the shooting.
The shooting is under investigation by the Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office as well as the Independent Police Auditor and the police department's Internal Affairs division.
