Police have been criticized after releasing bodycam footage that was said to show a former NFL player being shot at least 10 times, also using stun bags, pepper balls and a dog as he was killed after interrupting traffic.
Ekom Udofia was shot and killed when police responded to a report of a man standing in front of cars at 2am, leading to officers shouting at him to drop what turned out to be a BB gun and end the stand-off.
Former New Orleans Saints and Cincinnati Bengals defensive linesman Udofia was reportedly suspected to have taken drugs by the caller who alerted police, and they used several forms of weaponry in a desperate exchange as the barefooted 33-year-old pointed his gun at them.
Police could be heard repeatedly saying: “Please – do not make me shoot you. Drop the gun.”
Udofia died after being taken to hospital, and an internal investigation is now said to have been launched by the Phoenix Police Dept.
Sergeant Mercedes Fortune told Ktar: “He was not firing at cars. What we know is he was armed and there was traffic flowing and he was jumping in front of vehicles.”
The death of Udofia, who was from a Nigerian family in Scottsdale, angered writer Robert Littal. “This sounds to me like Udofia was having a mental health episode, but if you point anything at cops and you are black they are going to shoot you,” he said on Black Sports Online.
“They aren’t going to try to de-escalate the situation or try to figure out what exactly you have in your hand. This has happened far too often.”
A viewer observed: “From the video, it looks like he’s clearly approaching the officers with a gun.
“Sorry, but at what point are the officers supposed to let someone armed advance on them?
“Sooner or later a warning turns into action, especially in life or death situations – no matter who you are.”
Issues around police conduct and potential racism have been particularly divisive in the US since the killing of George Floyd at the hands of police brutality in May, which led to widespread protests, some of which turned violent.
Court documents seen by multiple news sources showed that Udofia had been arrested for crimes including disorderly conduct and indecent exposure in recent years, although he had been successfully carrying out the requirements of his probation.
Tony Tabor, a coach of Udofia’s before he earned All-American honors at Stanford University, said he had last met his former student at his birthday party and when he spoke to a high school team.
“When I saw him eight years ago, he was the same kid I always knew,” Tabor told AZ Central. “Super soft-spoken. Never swore. He never showed hostility.
“He’d put a helmet on the football field and chew you apart. But when he was not on the field, he’d lead the devotion before a meal.”
Ron Estabrook, who also coached Ufodia, added: “He was smart, respectful, a team player – all the things you would want from a player.”
