Outrage as police release footage of fatal Justin Robinson shooting

Public anger grows after MPD releases bodycam footage showing the fatal shooting of Justin Robinson in D.C.

The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) has released body camera footage of the fatal shooting of Justin Robinson, a 26-year-old violence interrupter, which has ignited widespread outrage across social media.

The hashtag #JusticeForJustin quickly trended on X (formerly Twitter) as users decried the incident as yet another case of police brutality.

Say his name #JUSTICEFORJUSTIN https://t.co/9O61zUWZts pic.twitter.com/CKYWFXrgBR

— Zo&Thelma🤍 (@_hershadyass) September 10, 2024

MPD has released two videos of the incident, each just under 20 minutes long, providing two different perspectives of the events that unfolded on September 1 at a McDonald's drive-thru in Southeast D.C.

The first video begins inside a patrol car and shows an officer arriving at the scene where Robinson’s vehicle had crashed. After noticing a firearm on Robinson’s lap, the officer alerted others and coordinated a response. The footage captures the tense moments as officers boxed in the vehicle and attempted to engage with Robinson before the situation escalated. At one point, Robinson appears to reach for an officer’s gun, prompting multiple officers to open fire. Robinson was pronounced dead at the scene.

The second video offers the perspective of another officer at the scene, capturing additional angles of the confrontation and the aftermath of the shooting.

The release of the footage followed discussions between MPD and Robinson’s family. His sister, Tralicia, expressed frustration, saying, "We wanted to tell our story before the video was redacted." She also criticized the officers’ lack of urgency in providing aid to her brother.

The officers involved, Vasco Mateus and Bryan Gilchrist, are currently on paid administrative leave. Investigations by MPD’s Force Investigations Team and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for D.C. are ongoing, while public calls for accountability continue to grow online.