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Philly.com- Police Sgt. Kevin Clements, who was identified for the first time Monday, shot LaShanda Anderson of Philadelphia, who was driving a rented Nissan Armada and allegedly attempting to flee from a Marshalls store where she and two others tried to steal over $3,000 in merchandise stuffed into a suitcase.
Anderson, who authorities said tried to run down Clements and another police officer in the Marshalls parking lot, was pronounced dead at the scene. Two other suspects were apprehended.
The county released seven audio recordings related to the June 9 events, including a call from the Marshalls loss-prevention officer who told a 911 operator that one of the suspects was wanted for manslaughter. That turned out to be inaccurate.
“I’m gonna need assistance stopping them,” the Marshalls employee said in his 911 call to report the shoplifters.
“Oh, we don’t stop them, sir. You have to stop them. We don’t stop them,” the operator responded.
“Ma’am, you can send them. I know you can send them. One of them has a warrant for manslaughter. ..
The operator continued trying to get information from the Marshalls employee, who apparently began to run after the suspects.
After the officers arrived at the scene, there was some garbled communication and then one officer shouts: “Struck my arm with the vehicle.”
Within a few seconds, an officer shouts: “Shots fired! Shots fired!”
No weapons were found in the vehicle.
The NAACP has called for the state Attorney General’s Office to take over the investigation from the Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office. The civil rights group said it plans to conduct its own probe.
