Review Board Says Orange County (FLA) Deputy at Fault in Fatal Shooting of Black Man
Monday, November 29, 2004 at 09:49PM
TheSpook
Police Shoot & Kill Wrong Suspect - Thought he had a gun - Pulling Pants Up
A citizens' review board says an Orange County
deputy was at fault when he shot and killed a man last year. Deputy
Richard Mankewich was cleared of criminal charges earlier this year.
But the nine-member review board found otherwise Monday night, saying
it believes Mankewich was guilty of excessive force and abuse of power.
Sgt. Richard Mankewich fatally shot Marvin Williams in mid-January when
Williams was fleeing from officers. He was mistaken for a homicide
suspect. Mankewich told investigators and a grand jury that he thought
Williams was going for a gun because he reached toward his waist. But
most of the board members believed Williams was pulling up his
pants. As it turned out, Williams was not armed, had no drugs on
him and had no outstanding warrants. Williams was also the wrong man,
not really the murder suspect they thought they were chasing.Mankewich,
a 13-year veteran of the sheriff's office, was the subject of public
scrutiny in 1997 when he was involved in the stop and arrest of a Miami
police major along Florida's Turnpike. The major filed a civil rights
suit that claimed he was stopped because he was black. The suit was
later settled.[more] and [more]
Officers mistakenly thought the unarmed Orange County man was a suspect in a slaying. [more]
