SAN JOSE, Calif. (KCBS) -- San Jose officials have ordered the release of 911 tapes in connection with the deadly shooting by officers of a mentally ill man in May, and San Jose's mayor is hopeful the release of the tapes will help build trust in the department.
KCBS’ Margie Shafer Reports
San Jose officials ordered the release of the tapes in connection with the Daniel Pham case, in which officers shot dead a man while responding to reports he had attacked a family member. Mayor Chuck Reed says he agrees with that decision.
"Really the question is, what did the officers do, or why did they use deadly force," said Reed. "Really whether or not somebody is mentally ill doesn't give you the answer to that."
Pham's family and many in the Vietnamese community have demanded release of the tapes, in part to determine whether dispatchers told officers that Pham was mentally ill.
"The mentally ill can be very dangerous when they're not on their medication and are confronting the police," said Reed. "So what the police did, and why they did it, I think, is of great interest to a lot of people."
A neighbor who had made one of the 911 calls did not want the actual recording released as he felt his voice would be recognizable in the community.
Picture of the scene courtesy CBS5.
(MGO)
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