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Richmond police on Friday showed members of the media the body camera footage from one of its officers who last week fatally shot a 24-year-old high school biology teacher. Marcus-David Peters was unarmed and naked when he was shot. His sister, who saw the footage along with her uncle and their attorney on Wednesday, said he was clearly in distress having a mental health breakdown. Princess Blanding, Peters' sister, said after seeing the footage, she doesn't believe her brother should have been shot and is calling for changes to police procedures. "I want to clear the air and set the record straight," Police Chief Alfred Durham said in an earlier statement. "There is so much misinformation out there right now. The facts are what should matter, here." Durham has not spoken publicly since the incident. He is expected to provide an update on the investigation into the shooting and "make an appeal for additional information," a release said. Around 5:33 p.m. May 14, an RPD officer saw Peters driving a sedan that struck another vehicle at the intersection of West Franklin and North Belvidere streets. He continued driving and the officer followed him north and onto the I-95/64 ramp at Chamberlayne Avenue.
Peters lost control of his vehicle after striking two more vehicles on the ramp, police said. He emerged from the disabled vehicle without clothing and ran into the northbound lanes of I-95/64. Witnesses said they saw him dancing and rolling around on the interstate before running back to the on-ramp. Police said Peters then charged its officer identified as Michael Nyantakyi, who deployed his Taser in an effort to disable Peters. The Taser was ineffective, police said, and the officer fired his service weapon, striking Peters twice in abdomen. Peters was transported to a hospital where he died a few hours later. Peters' family is planning to hold a community meeting they're calling “Demanding Justice for Marcus Peters: A Speak-Out & Rally" on Saturday from 2 to 4 p.m. at Second Baptist Church, 1400 Idlewood Ave. The family is also planning a march for June 2 from the Siegel Center at Virginia Commonwealth University, where Peters graduated with honors in 2016, to the police department's headquarters on Grace Street.
