Kajieme Powell has been identified as the knife wielding thug shot and killed by St. Louis police yesterday after he yelled to them “shoot me now, kill me now.” Kajieme Powell ‘allegedly’ stole donuts and an energy drinks before the encounter with cops.
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| Kajieme Powell knife wielding thug killed by St. Louis cop |
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St. Louis officials have identified the 25-year-old man shot dead yesterday in an officer-involved shooting that happened only a few miles from where Michael Brown was killed by police earlier this month.
Authorities said Kajieme Powell stole donuts and energy drinks from a store yesterday afternoon, which prompted the owner to call police, according to KSDK. When two officers arrived shortly before 1 p.m., they said they observed Powell acting erratically. He refused to put down a knife when commanded to do so, police said.
Witnesses said the suspect yelled, “Shoot me now. Kill me now,” before approaching officers. Some people who saw the shooting described it as “suicide by cop,” according to USA Today.
In a statement delivered yesterday before a crowd near the scene of the shooting, St. Louis Police Chief Sam Dotson said that both officers opened fire on Powell after the suspect came within three or four feet of police while holding the knife in an “overhand grip.”
Police identified Powell Tuesday night, as about 150 people gathered near the scene of the shooting. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that a peaceful protest at the store disbanded by 1 a.m., Wednesday morning.