A 17-year-old father is dead after the police in Washington D.C. startled the sleeping teen awake as he slept in a running vehicle and shot him in the back of his head.
Metropolitan Police Department officers and two U.S. Park Police officers responded to a call about a suspicious vehicle parked on the street on March 18. The authorities arrived and saw Dalaneo Martin sleeping in the stolen vehicle.
Video released by the U.S. Park Police on April 4 showed two police officers climbing into the back of a white hatchback vehicle near 34th Street and Baker Street NE at around 9:30 a.m. The officers cut the plastic from one of the windows to unlock the vehicle.
“If he doesn’t get startled and he doesn’t wake up, then we’re going to try to get in there, grab him before he puts that car into gear,” said one police officer before they enter the vehicle. “If we can grab that hand, get a hold of that other one, we’re good to go. But let’s wait to see if he gets startled after I cut it, try to unlock the door. If he does, if he takes off, just let him go. But don’t get inside that car till we, you know.”
Upon entering the vehicle, the officers grabbed Martin by his hands and yelled, “Police! Don’t move!”
Martin began driving, and one of the officers fell out of the vehicle. One officer remained in the backseat and yelled for Martin to stop as the teen yelled, “Get off of me!”
The officer yelled back, “Stop, man, just let me out,” as he reached for his gun. “Let me go!”
Martin kept driving, and after the officer drew his gun, he yelled, “Stop! Stop, or I’ll shoot!”‘
One second later, the officer opened fire aiming at Martin’s head. After the officer fired his weapon at least five times and the car crashed into a nearby house, the officer yelled, “Don’t move!”
He struck Martin in his upper back near his neck. The police performed CPR on Martin, but he was declared dead on the scene.
Martin’s family is represented by Jade E. Mathis of the A. Clarke Law Group, and Mathis released a statement following the shooting.
“On March 18, 2023, another shooting death occurred in the District of Columbia. Dalaneo Martin was just 17 years old when he was brutally murdered at the hands of a Park Police Officer, leaving a five-month old child without a father,” read the statement.
“We are calling for a full investigation of the officers involved in this shooting. These officers need to be held accountable for taking another Black child from our community. Black people across the country are under attack from a policing system that criminalizes them, strips resources, and then justifies their killing.”
Martin’s family viewed the graphic body-cam footage before it was released. Martin’s mother, Terra Martin, wants the Park Police officer who shot her son in the back to be fired and prosecuted. She also wants the other officers on the scene to be publicly identified.
“Seeing the video yesterday of my son being murdered, I’m lost. Seeing their brother murdered all over national TV,” said Terra Martin. “I want the officer’s name released immediately. I want him arrested.”
Mathis described the family’s emotions while watching the video.
“Their initial reaction was tears and then it turned to anger, rightfully so,” said Mathis. “But it was also relief because they have more answers than they had before.”
“It’s unfortunate that there’s going to be another Black child who has to be raised without a father,” said community activist Nee Nee Taylor. “I think everyone involved made mistakes, but only one person, their life will be forever changed by the consequences that people made. It’s just a matter of how we police.”
The Park Police Union defended the actions of the officer. Union chairman Kenneth Spencer said that the shooting of Martin was justified.
“There is a lawful reason for him to be in the car, the use of force was justified, and the union stands behind the actions the officers took,” said Spencer.
The FBI announced on Tuesday that federal prosecutors have opened a civil rights investigation into the shooting.
“In coordination with the FBI Washington Field Office, the United States Attorney’s Office has opened a civil rights investigation into the circumstances leading to Mr. Martin’s death,” read the statement. “That investigation – which we are committed to conducting diligently and thoroughly – is ongoing.”
It’s time for people of color to get together and form a military organization and start defending ourselves against white SUPREMIST police terrorists…they’re killing people of color all over the country…unarmed..sitting in cars…sitting on porches…walking down the street..sleeping in our beds…standing in our own yard…at work…any and everywhere just being black..you are a target by white SUPREMIST…PERIOD
This is the most biased, black supremacist propaganda I’ve come across. So unapologetically racist toward white people. It’s an absolute distortion of the TRUTH. Consider this before you publish anything else – over 40%of all violent crime is committed by 13% of the population (people that look like you and sound like you). You act as if all cops just wanna shoot first but in actuality it’s them protecting THEIR OWN lives from violent drugged up thugs who will kill them with no hesitation..you even see overwhelming numbers of lack on black crime so WHATS UR EXCUSE THERE?? Y’all refuse to own the fact that your own poor life choices hold your “community ” down…not the white devil. Lol. Are you all that diluted to belive your own FALSE NARRATIVES or is it just a vehicle for a cash grab? I think the latter. Lets be real, This 17 y/o thug was a career criminal that didn’t go to school or work. Got a young girl knocked up and had to figure oit a way to support a baby with crime. He was PASSED OUT WITH A SKI MASK ON IN A STOLEN CAR WITH A GUN!!! The cops did nothing wrong and the family of this malicious little wannabe gangster owe THEM an apology. But we all know they won’t take accountability.. they just rushed to set up a gofundme page and file a civil suit. Like I said…its a cash grab. Momma and the lawyer think they hit the lotto! What joke. U should be embarrassed Niko.
Rick James you have a small d complex don’t you? There are no greater criminals than colonizers who killed millions of slaves and stole everything from people to property to inventions! No heroes in your history and no accomplishments of your own but claim to be supreme! The most mediocre people on the planet! Inherently evil and always full of hate, while claiming to love God!
If Martin had been home taking care of his son instead of out doing crime–stolen car, gun, etc.,–he’d likely still be alive right now. This is on him and his “family” for raising up a no-values-having hood rat and loosing him on the community. Now they think they deserve a pail of cash? They should be getting a bill for all the damange. And if anyone thinks America is such a bad place with bad police, they can and should leave. I hear that Liberia is nice this time of year, and Somalia has no police.
Rick James Bitch, you redoing your name justice. We did not ask to come here, we were stolen, we were raped, our children sold like animals, whipped, attacked by dogs when we tried to free ourselves. The list of atrocities is never ending. We were then set free with nothing after years of hard slavery. How were we supposed to support our children ? You then gave us drugs to sell and destroy our own then shoot us for trying to provide for our families. You will never be able to repay us for all the suffering we have endured and still enduring. I would really like to tell you exactly what I think of you but I refuse to stoop to your demeaning level.
Why is it always on Black news you find racist Klan members, Pride Girl, Boogaloo Bois, and other violent white supremacist terrorist. I’ll tell you why, because they work hand and hand with local and state law enforcement. Been joining for years, so they jump on here to throw their lies and stupidity at the wall. First Rick James B* goes on a rant about Black people while showing he is full of jealousy & cowardice. Rick James quick note: 84% of white victims of violence are victims of White criminals. A DOJ report onngang violence confirmed 53.4% of all gang violence from 1980 to 2008 was committed by White criminals. When it comes to sexual crimes whether its child, women or men the vast majority of criminals are overwhelmingly white. See what you have is a problem with white on white violence and media lying to you. See you know about Uncle Larry touching kids, like you know Cousin Doug is making and selling meth but in order to keep your weak mind and heart safe you still told you good people. Why? Cause the US knows what happened when they put a stop to those lynching that were town events. Lost? During the 1950s and 1960s when Civil Rights was in swing and lynching got jailtime what happeded? Oh right! There was an explosion of serial killers.. Look at the dates if you lost, also Manson said clearly he wanted a race war. See what your true problem is the US has coddled yall to the point your spoiled rotten like trustfund kids. Your minds cant handle being anything other than the myths they created for yall. And whst crazy to the gentleman at the bottom who said for your own citizens to leave. You before them first! This isnt you home, its stolen land with alot of debt to it. Please use the conquered line, but reality much less romantic than they paint it. Truly, Europeans were filthy, dirty, diseased cowards. They filth harmed people, they even gave out diseased blankets. All the while pretending to be their friend, only to sneak attack. And when people retaliated they lie and claim they friends it was a misunderstanding as they went to others like a gossiping white karen to get them to team up. Than they attack again, and repeat this cycle. But when there was too much resistance they set up treaties only to ignore them or disregard them. Mount Rushmore anyone… lmao! Alot of you white Americans are living a fantasy, unlike the rest of the world we see you as scumbag losers who only good for a few things. We of the world can at least say Black Americans have contributions to the world. You white supremacist have stupidity. Let me guess, you got guns? Without asian gunpowder you dont. We gave you cellphones? NOPE Black American helped yall on that… Most stuff yall claim just like the US, is stolen property… lmao! Wish yall would come to another country with that nonsense and see what happens. We cant stand yall low budget villain yall useless…