Shocking moment an unarmed black man walking between traffic is shot by a plain clothed officer through the closed window of an unmarked police car 'because he feared he was about to be robbed'

Joel Johnson, 28, was walking between several cars on Monday night at approximately 8.50pm in Philadelphia
Video shows Johnson walk up to the detective's vehicle and in the next moment, several shots are fired and the man falls to the ground
He was taken to a hospital and is said to be in critical condition
Police explain that the officer believed that Johnson was a carjacker and also armed with a gun
No weapon was found at the scene
The man's niece said that he is mentally disabled and known to beg for change, the latter fact the police commissioner corroborated

Shocking footage shows the moment that a man said to be mentally disabled was shot by a plainclothes officer in Philadelphia.

Joel Johnson, 28, was walking between several cars on Monday night at approximately 8.50pm when the shooting occurred.

Video shows Johnson walk up to the detective's vehicle and in the next moment, several shots are fired and the man falls to the ground.

Philadelphia cops shoot an unarmed special needs man

Shocking video shows the moment 28-year-old Joel Johnson was shot while walking the streets of Philadelphia on Monday night

Johnson was rushed to a hospital in critical condition as is expected to survive.

Comment

Comment by Melinda Thompson on May 23, 2019 at 8:33pm: 7 year veteran and cop did not know of this man and the issues he had. Cop was in fear for his life when he has a gun...Get the frack outta here. I call Bull pods...

Comment by Dee Lee on May 23, 2019 at 7:47pm: I hear some of you, I see people begging for money all the time. We dont know that the cop saw the guy before he got to his window. But come on I can see how this could happen. The guy was actually holding his hands together like a gun! A normal person make have taking a lil more time to look to see if it was really a gun, but cops are trained to react faster. So being that he was a cop made it worst, for some one being for money with his hand together like a gun. Look at the video again how the guy was holding his hand.

Comment by rafael monzon on May 23, 2019 at 6:45pm: So the dude passed how many cars before getting to the cop that nobody raced off thinking he had a gun and he can't process that the man is unarmed. I get approached all the time by people asking for money when I'm driving and when I'm walking. I never fear that someone has a gun when they are asking for money. To be clear about that it's all skin colors and ethnicities and both genders that be panhandling. If you're stuck in traffic you can see what's going on in front of you well before it is in your direct pathline. Which brings me back to saying if the cars in front of you did not race off fearing he had a gun and the cop is "Allegedly Trained to Spot" dangerous situations how can regular folks who don't go through that training know the difference.and he don't.

Comment by Olabisi on May 23, 2019 at 2:10pm: If the man was in his car and the door was locked. Please explain how he was in fear for his life? I would’ve moved or not exited the car. As a officer of the law, he should know better poor excuse