Accusations of manslaughter were filed on Wednesday by prosecutor David Prater against five police officers involved in the shooting death of Stavian Rodriguez, 15.
According to the Oklahoma City Police Department, officers were identified as Corey Adams, Jared Barton, Bethany Sears, Jonathan Skuta and Bradley Pemberton.
Rodriguez, who was charged with armed robbery last November 23 at a convenience store in southwest Oklahoma City, was confronted and shot by police.
The charges brought claim that the five policemen “… acting together, intentionally, illegally and unnecessarily killed Stavian Rodriguez, shooting him with a firearm.”
Related: OKC teenager fatally shot by police appears to have put the gun on the ground
According to court documents, while several policemen were giving orders, Rodriguez lifted his shirt and showed his waist. The documents state that he pulled a gun from his pants and dropped it on the floor.
Documents reveal that, after dropping the gun, Rodriguez put his left hand in his back pocket and his right in his front pocket. A sixth officer, identified as Sergeant Sarah Carli, fired a less lethal bullet that hit Rodriguez. Adams, Barton, Sears, Skuta and Pemberton then fired lethal shots that hit Rodriguez causing his death, documents say.
Carli was not charged.
Authorities said a cell phone was found in Rodriguez’s left pocket, where he had his hand at the time of the shooting. No other weapons found in Rodriguez.
Oklahoma City Police Fraternal Order President John George issued a statement in response to Wednesday’s accusations against the officers.
“Officers must make life-and-death decisions in a fraction of a second, relying on their training. When a suspected armed robbery did not obey police orders, five policemen realized the same threat and simultaneously fired their weapons.
The loss of life is always a tragedy and we know that these policemen did not take firearms seriously. OKC FOP supports these officials and claims that they acted within the law. ”
The officers involved in the shooting remain on administrative leave.
Oklahoma City police also released videos of cameras from the body of the fatal shooting on Wednesday.
Related: Bodycam videos released by the police, shooting the death of Stavian Rodriguez