(Memphis) Two Memphis police officers are back on duty, though in a non-law enforcement manner.
The officers are 30-year-old Ned Aufdenkamp and 31-year-old Matthew Dyess.
Both were placed on standard relief of duty with pay after the shooting death of 24-year-old Steven Askew after the officers said Askew pointed a gun at them.
The shooting happened January 17 at the Windsor Place apartments and a woman recorded the aftermath with her cellphone.
Askew’s family believes the video shows that police used excessive force.
“I was in the kitchen. My heart was beating so fast,” says a woman’s voice in the video.
“The kids are here. Why the *%$^ they going to do that for?,” says another.
Some believe the video shows police shooting again, 17 seconds after the initial round of gun fire that hit and inevitably killed 24-year-old Askew.
“I know I heard shots,” said the woman in the video. Then that is followed by a loud noise.
Askew’s long-time friend Timothy Evans believes they are gunshots.
“I do believe it is gun fire,” he said.
This cell phone video recently surfaced on Facebook and Evans says he hopes it sheds light on what happened that night.
“I am hoping that the video serves justice,” he said.
He says Askew was sleeping in his car, waiting for his girlfriend to come home around 10 p.m. when somehow he ended up dead, shot by two police officers. Even people talking in this video back-up that story.
“That man was asleep when I just came from the store,” says a man.
“He didn`t shoot at them. We heard their guns,” says the woman about police.
“That`s what I heard!,” said another woman.
Memphis police admit two officers shot Askew to death but say Askew pointed a gun at them first. Police Director Toney Armstrong says he’s seen this video and doesn’t believe the sound is gunfire.
The Askew family says they got to see Steven’s body in the morgue and they claim it was riddled with at least 10 bullet holes, seven of them in his back.
“It doesn`t make any sense why shots were fired from the back of the car,” said Evans. “How would you be a threat to someone if your back is turned to them?”
The Askew family has hired attorney to get to the bottom of this case. They are waiting for the medical examiner to release Steven’s autopsy report that will show exactly how many times and where he was shot.
