Cops shoot 18-year old 16 times in Ottawa, Kansas

Joseph Jennings was 18 years old. He was depressed, had seizures, and was suicidal. His aunt, Brandy Smith, told Ottawa, Kansas police that her nephew tried killing himself with an overdose of pills last week. Two of the officers that took Joseph to the hospital for the overdose were among those who on Saturday, shot Joseph 16 times. Joseph was unarmed.

Smith said that she told the cops that Joseph was suicidal, upset, and to not shoot him. Her husband was within an arm’s reach of Joseph, but the cops threatened to shoot him if he got involved.

“I told them, ‘That’s Joseph Jennings, he’s suicidal, he’s upset, don’t shoot him,’” Smith said. “And that’s what I don’t understand is, why did it take them shooting him 16 times at least for them to bring him down? Why didn’t they bag him, knock him down, and then go and take care of whatever they needed to take care of?”