There are multiple conspiracy theories and doubts being shared on Twitter right now of the official version of events surrounding the death of Antonio Martin, an 18-year-old man who was shot and killed last night near Ferguson, Missouri after allegedly pointing a gun at a police officer.
First up, there is a widespread belief that cops planted the gun recovered at the scene of the shooting after Martin’s mother, Toni, told reporters last night that he wasn’t carrying a weapon:
Toni Martin said son #AntonioMartin, 18, just left home and didn't have a gun http://t.co/bYVa9FnegO (@JohnHenryKSDK) pic.twitter.com/NQjCxU7XnS
— USA TODAY (@USATODAY) December 24, 2014
Tweeters quickly provided amateur forensic analysis of the crime scene photos, with what they say is evidence that the gun was not present immediately following the shooting:
The gun was supposedly planted ????? pass this along!! #AntonioMartin pic.twitter.com/73RiaQ2kGx
— Y5? | RIP Baby Girl. ❤️ (@Y5HUNNID) December 24, 2014
https://twitter.com/ImJustCeej/status/547727503914467329
https://twitter.com/WillmaSupaStar/status/547762682812973056
A somewhat legitimate issue being discussed is that the one surveillance video released by the St. Louis County Police Department isn’t the best quality (at least the version we’ve seen) and that the encounter happens far away from the camera at the top-left corner of the screen:
#AntonioMartin still capture from video, 1:43 pointing weapon at police officer @Empress_moi pic.twitter.com/cJJGqOXQBD
— Hammy Thanksgiving ? ✈ (@e2pilot) December 24, 2014
Because we can all see the gun clearly and the cops never cover their own. Sarcastic tweet #AntonioMartin pic.twitter.com/DCx78sSf9L
— Michelle (@Michelle9647) December 24, 2014
St. Louis County Police Chief Jon Belmar, who is giving the briefing linked to here, stops the footage before Martin is shot, but told reporters there is more tape than what was shown:
.@stlcountypd Chief Jon Belmar narrates grainy surveillance video of #AntonioMartin & #Berkeley officer. http://t.co/s8pl4miY2o
— Staci D Kramer (@sdkstl) December 24, 2014
This shortened video, however, has many questioning if the video indeed shows what the police allege it shows:
So I just watched the #AntonioMartin surveillance… and that was released to show what ? Unless yall got some bionic vision or something
— Monique Currie (@Mocurrie25) December 24, 2014
If #AntonioMartin had a gun why would the police take so long to release actual footage proving the shooting was justified?
— Charlie (@KingChizz) December 24, 2014
"@NickiKelly: I can't make out ANYTHING from that video. #AntonioMartin IF he pulled out a gun, he was asking for trouble."
— She (@ohiaofeh) December 24, 2014
#AntionioMartin video appears to show MArtin handing cop his ID #CopsLie
— Resistance Xyxox (@Xyxox) December 24, 2014
https://twitter.com/Yanano/status/547765065639026689
Another one down. They're saying this video shows him pulling a gun… hmmm??? #AntonioMartin http://t.co/8pxzOPCzvH
— RaceBaitr (@RaceBaitr) December 24, 2014
https://twitter.com/AnandWrites/status/547763161575997442
Tweeters are pointing out that there are multiple other cameras that would have captured the shooting and want to know when/if the police will release additional footage:
https://twitter.com/occbaystreet/status/547765239106662401
https://twitter.com/_Londyyyyy/status/547758532331069441
There's cameras at the corner of bldg where the incident occurred @Xtina2031 @stlcountypd RIGHT THERE. #AntonioMartin pic.twitter.com/tinrTqtc1P
— Aaron (@AaronWBanks) December 24, 2014
https://twitter.com/UcheSoFly/status/547746570700353536
.@Only1Karimah the crime scene is right in the middle of these two cameras. #AntonioMartin #Berkeley pic.twitter.com/OOw1EPvDK1
— Josh Benson (@jbensonian) December 24, 2014
According to the press conference this morning, the police officer isn’t doing himself any favors as his patrol car’s dash-cam was not activated nor was he wearing his body-cam:
https://twitter.com/SputnikInt/status/547746115337338880
https://twitter.com/Toussaint215/status/547767268206448641
Nah if you are a cop and your cameras, body cam, or dash cam is off that should be automatic indictment. #AntonioMartin
— 10-3 #chiefskingdom (@TashKam) December 24, 2014
Interesting developments in the #AntonioMartin shooting. Police body cam's and dash cam's missing/not working. Sounds like an old tune…
— Baxter Greystock (@BaxterGreystock) December 24, 2014
https://twitter.com/BubbaGoldie/status/547759641976123393
One particularly ugly theory that’s out there is that Martin was alive for up to 30 minutes after the shooting and left to die by cops and EMS workers:
Police: deceased body remained at scene for two hours after shooting. Police chief calls this standard practice. #AntonioMartin #Berkeley
— T.J. Holmes (@tjholmes) December 24, 2014
Ppl called 911 themselves and still no ambulance came #Berkeley #AntonioMartin #Ferguson
— Johnetta Elzie (@Nettaaaaaaaa) December 24, 2014
https://twitter.com/eicasso/status/547772002954932225
Bystanders saying he was alive for approximately 30 minutes after being shot. No ambulance. #antoniomartin
— Dr. Cornel Fresh (@WyzeChef) December 24, 2014
https://twitter.com/bphennessy/status/547762342239690752
when them cops got shot u seen how fast they was doin CPR & got their bodies off the scene & rushed in an ambulance #AntonioMartin
— PHARAOH ? DESPERADO (@KING_DESPERADO_) December 24, 2014
White supremacy let #AntonioMartin bleed out for 30 minutes, police officers watched him for half an hour and didn't call an ambulance.
— doreen st. félix (@dstfelix) December 24, 2014
Martin’s body was eventually removed from the scene not by ambulance, but in some sort of minivan:
#AntonioMartin body was carried away in a minivan. These police officers have no respect. But we new to respect the 2 slain officers in NYC?
— Chocolate dulce (@WithLove_Kenzie) December 24, 2014
how the fuck do you put a dead body in a minivan #AntonioMartin
— ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) (@__dynamik) December 24, 2014
Here’s the video. It’s unclear if the minivan is an official city vehicle or not, but reports from the scene and suggest that this is the medical examiner’s vehicle:
They didn't put him in an Ambulance, they put his body in a mini van ?#AntonioMartin: http://t.co/nfUZocWtco via @YouTube”
— Aaron Alexander? (@atAaronIsOnline) December 24, 2014
They left Antonio Martin's body out in the cold for 2 hours, he died 30 minutes after, the medical examiner arrived after 90 minutes
— an ode aoty (@storyop1s) December 24, 2014
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