DAYTON — Local officials are speaking out after a 16-year-old was killed in a police shooting on Saturday.
As reported on News Center 7 at 5:00, Dayton Mayor Jeffrey Mims held a press conference on Monday to speak on the recent shooting and share his plans to address violence around the city.
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The shooting occurred around 8 p.m. as Dayton police were addressing a “vacant house/block party” issue in the 500 block of Negley Place, News Center 7 previously reported.
Body camera video shows officers attempting to talk to the 16-year-old standing in the street. Seconds later, he starts to run from the police.
Two body camera clips show the teenager turning around toward the police. Dayton Chief of Police Kamran Afzal said he had a gun and pointed it at officers, prompting them to open fire.
The teen was hit in the left shoulder and was taken to the hospital where he later died.
“The community is hurting, I’m hurting because of this loss,” Mims said.
Mims proposed a new community violence interruption program, which aims to prevent gun violence and support young people.
He said he has been working with the Dayton Police Department on this plan for more than a year.
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“We must ensure our youth have better outcomes. We must ensure our neighborhoods are safe. We must disrupt this gun violence as a culture. Real change. That is what I am here proposing,” Mims said.
The program uses trained professionals to help teenagers through some of the challenges they may face.
“A program that has been successful in reducing violence in cities across the country are Cure Violence programs. These programs involve focusing on concentrated areas of violence and using trained, culturally sensitive and credible messengers to disrupt and change community norms around the use of violence,” Mims said.
Mims said these programs have been implemented across the country and have seen success in various cities.
“We have reviewed Cure Violence programs to evaluate their success. Philadelphia showed a 30% reduction in shootings over two years when compared to the two years prior to the program.
He said he wants this program to start soon, but it is not clear when it will be implemented.
For now, other city leaders have stepped up to show support for their community.
The Boys and Girls Club of Dayton will extend its hours and programs on July 2 and 3 for teenagers who may need a safe space.
“We have a shared accountability to address this violence that we cannot ignore. I am calling on our community to put the guns down,” Mims said.
We will continue to follow this story.
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