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A young deaf and mute father has been shot dead by police as he tried to communicate with them using sign language.
Daniel Kevin Harris, 29, was initially pulled over for speeding. The incident took place in North Carolina last Thursday (18th August).
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The father-of-one was killed by a trooper just feet from his home.
According to the police, trooper Jermaine Saunders attempted to pull Harris over but he hadn't stopped initially which led to a brief chase. After he stopped, they claim that he got out of his car and there was a 'brief encounter' which led to the fatal shooting.
However, eyewitnesses claim that Harris was shot 'almost immediately' after getting out of his car. He was unarmed and attempting to communicate with them according to WCNC.
Credit: Facebook
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Harris' family spoke to the news station through a sign language interpreter as they too are deaf and mute. His brother, Jay, said: "He was unarmed - and he is a deaf individual, and I think that he was just afraid,
"He could not hear their warnings. He could not hear their commands to stop or to stay away from them."
Mark Barringer, a neighbour, said: "You're pulling someone over who is deaf, they are handicapped. To me, what happened is totally unacceptable.
"They should have de-escalated and been trained to realise that this is an entirely different situation."
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Incredibly sad. RIP Daniel.
Words by Mel Ramsay
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