Local Teen Refused to Comply with Police, Police shot and killed the teen.
Saturday night Javon Maurice Dawson, 17 was at a graduation party that got out of hand and police was called to restore order as the party left the building and entered into the streets of St. Petersburg.
There was a large crowd of young adults at the party and when police arrived they attempted to disperse the crowd when they heard gun shots.
According to reports, Officer Terrance Nemeth saw Dawson standing in the street, firing a handgun. He said he "verbally challenged" Dawson several times to put the gun down. Police said that, when Dawson refused to comply, Nemeth fired his handgun and shot him.
Dawson briefly ran, then collapsed and died at the scene.
The homicide unit and the internal affairs division of the St. Petersburg Police Department are investigating the incident, as is the Pinellas-Pasco State Attorney's Office.
More to the story…
Witnesses to the officer involved shooting say the police shot the wrong man.
Javon M. Dawson’s friends reported to the media that the police officer shot him in the back on purpose according to Deon Hinson, a friend of Dawson.
Hinson also reported to the media that Dawson did not even have a gun.
However, the St Petersburg Police Department reports they collected evidence that shows Dawson was shooting a gun.
According to police, one of their officers saw Dawson shooting a gun in the middle of the street.
The officer is said to have, in their words, "verbally challenged" Dawson about it. The officer then shot and killed Dawson.
Friends of Dawson also reported to the media that the people at the party were firing celebratory shots in the air.
Of course the police department according to policy and procedure regarding a police related shooting has turned this case over to internal affairs, the homicide division and the States Attorneys office.
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