Phoenix Police Release Name of Officer Who Shot Unarmed Black Man
On Tuesday, the Phoenix Police Department named 30-year-old Mark Rine as the killer of Rumain Brisbon, an unarmed black man who was gunned down last week after the officer reportedly mistook a pill bottle for a gun.
"It has been seven days since the incident and we didn't want to hold off on releasing the name any longer," said a police spokesman Sgt. Trent Crump. "He's now had time to mitigate any threats he might receive."
On December 2, Brisbon was shot to death by police after a brief foot chase and struggle, during which cops say the pursuing officer "believed he felt the handle of a gun" in Brisbon's pocket. The object was later found to be a bottle of prescription pills.
Since then, protestors have demanded that the identity of Brisbon's killer be made public.
"This is a very minor victory in a long campaign for justice for Rumain Brisbon and for justice against police brutality," Rev. Jarrett Maupin, a local civil rights activist, told Reuters.
According to Sgt. Crump, Rine has been placed on desk duty while the shooting is investigated.
