On the video, the officer identified as West Helena Arkansas Police officer Terry ‘Trey’ Daugherty, can be heard yelling, “He got a gun!” referring to Edrick ‘Ed’ Truitt, as the man had his hands in the air outside his car window. Daugherty keeps his gun aimed at Truitt for minutes commanding him to turn off his car.
Truitt said he was afraid that Daugherty would shoot him if he lowered his hands and removed them from the window to turn off the ignition, so left his hands in the air and kept repeating “my hands in the air” as Daugherty kept his firearm, tilted to the side, aimed at Truitt. After nearly a minute, Daugherty then says, “I’m not gone shoot you but you not gone move them hands…”
Local media reported that police said they’d examine Daugherty’s body camera to determine what occurred.
Truitt was charged with loitering and disobeying a police command. Truitt had a gun on the backseat of his car but said that it was out of reach and he was unarmed when the officer yelled that he had a gun.
WREG quoted the police chief saying “There’s three sides to anything. The police officer’s side, that gentleman’s side and the truth.”
west Helena Police Chief James Smith told the outlet, “We can’t Monday morning quarterback this thing,” he said. “We can’t sit back and say he should have done it this way or that way. We want to know the facts. What was the officer thinking, why did he pull his weapon, did he feel imminent danger?”
Here’s what you need to know:
1. In the Video, Daugherty Shouts, ‘Shut the Car Off,’ Then, ‘He Got a Gun!’ Truitt Said he Was Afraid He Was Going to be Shot
Truitt says, and the video appears to show, that Daugherty commands him to shut his car off, then yells, Truitt has a gun, and as Truitt raises his hands int he air, Daugherty continued to command that he “shut the car off. Truitt refuses and says his hands are in the air and he’s keeping them there: “You trying to shoot me.”
In an interview with local media, Truitt said he was in a convenience store gas station parking lot around 3 a.m. Saturday May 25. He said he was to meet family there before driving home to Jonesboro, Arkansas. Truitt said that as they were leaving, “…a car jumped in front of me, so I hit my brakes to let them go by.” Truitt said that police cars pulled up commanding that people in the lot to clear out. Truitt said his car was blocked in and that’s when Daugherty approached. Truitt claims that the officer initially told him to drive off and then, tells him to shut his car off.
“I ain’t moving my hands. He’s trying to shoot me,” Truitt says in the video. He even tells Daugherty that when the officer said “…all you had to do was drive off …”
Truitt says, “You tell me to shut my car off so you can shoot me, Come on now.”
WREG reported police “found a gun in the back of the car,” which it’s reported Truitt “never denied” was in the car but it was not in his reach.
“What I did saved my life. That’s why I’m here talking to y’all. If not, y’all would be covering a story about how I got shot,” he told WREG.
Reports indicate Truitt was arrested and charged with loitering and disregarding an official order. WREG reported that James said he faces a weapons charge as well.
2. After Yelling Truitt Had a Gun, No Other Officers Appeared to React
When Daugherty yelled that Truitt had a gun, there appears to be no reaction from officers nearby. On Daugherty’s Facebook page, some asked what that might suggest about the officer and his colleagues’ intentions.
“I’m confused that when you yelled GUN! None of your colleagues ran to back you up. Were they going to just let you murder this young man? Were they used to you acting crazy and were going to try to play innocent later? They should be investigated with you. You do NOT get to do this because you have a badge. You do not get to do this because you are white. You and your colleagues give the good officers a bad name. You ruin it. You are why they kneel. All of you should be fired.”
James said that Daugherty saw a gun in the car and “we don’t want to make this a racial thing.”
The body camera footage has not been released. The Arkansas State Police have taken over the investigation.
3. Daugherty Became a West Helena Police K-9 Officer in 2016
Daugherty was hired in December of 2015, but it was not until August of 2016 that Daugherty, who had just graduated from the Arkansas Law Enforcement Training Academy, had joined the West Helena Police Department.
According to reports from 2016, Daugherty was trained and hired as a K-9 officer assigned to K9 Rony.
A number of people have weighed in on the West Helena Police Department Facebook page.
“It’s a shame that the only tactic they have for dealing with black men is using a gun as if they are incoherent and can’t abide by “orders”. It’s shows the cowardice that is a part of our police forces and some white people when it comes to dealing with us. That police officer felt super empowered to have his gun pulled on the young man. You could definitely tell that he was itching for the young man to give him a reason to pull the trigger. I applaud the young mans courage, patience and demeanor. It’s sad that I have to even applaud that but until “they” stop being afraid of their mental demons, I’ll just keep praying for our strength and character when we get stopped by law enforcement.”
“Why would anyone recommend a police department that protects its own when they have clearly lied about a citizen having a gun and gives several conflicting orders so that they can shoot said citizen and have “justification” of why they did so. You are all dirty if you continue to stand behind Ofc. Trey Daughtery. But I’m not surprised. I’m sure he isn’t the only officer there who lies and does shady stuff.”
4. Daugherty, a Fan of Metalcore Music, is a Gun Rights Advocate Who Fervently Supports ‘Stand Your Ground’ Laws
According to his Facebook, Daugherty, a former trucker, is a fan of heavy metal music, a fervent and outspoken gun rights advocate and stand-your-ground law supporter.
Daugherty has also been an outspoken critic of former Pres. Barack Obama and shared a birther conspiracy post.
Daugherty shared a post that suggested gun violence against a government that would take away gun rights.
Daugherty also has mocked Travon Martin when sharing a post that called him “Thugon.” He’s shared posts that appear to profile people wearing clothing that’s too big, or sideways caps as “gangbangers.”
Daugherty is a fan of heavy metal and metalcore music.
He has shared posts on his social media on bands including Hatebreed, which was accused of being white supremacist, an allegation the band denied, and other groups.
5. Opinions Vary, Some Say Truitt Should Have Complied & Lowered His Hands & Turned Off His Car. Others, Including Truitt, Say Daugherty May Have Shot Him
“Looking for ah reason to kill him!!! Screaming!!! He got a gun to all the other police! and then tell him to reach down in a car to turn off the car so he can shoot him!!!! No good. And well he ain’t seen no GUN nowhere! Just wanted to Kill dude! just low down!”
“If a police officer gives you a command don’t grin at camera or keep running your mouth do what he says get out of car like he ask easily been solved and he could have been on his way problem solve.”
On Daugherty’s own Facebook page, people are commenting.
“Yea I saw the video I’m that young man didn’t move his hands after you yelled gun then you told him to shut the car off, you would have killed him, you should not be on any police force, you are murder trying to fool people into the grave I’m so glad that young man did not take your foolish bait, YOU ARE A COWARD only COWARDS trick people into situations to be conquered it’s a damn SHAME the video don’t lie, but had you pulled the trigger you would have made it lie in your favor.”