A kidnapped teenage girl was killed in September 2022 by California police trying to rescue her after a chase with her father, according to a newly released video, AFP reported.

USA police carPhoto: Kyle Mazza / Zuma Press / Profimedia

Savannah Graziano, 15, was fatally shot by several sheriff’s officers in San Bernardino County, east of Los Angeles. Her father, Anthony Graziano, had kidnapped her and killed her mother the day before.

Footage taken from a law enforcement helicopter shows a man being chased at a speed of more than 175 km/h. During this frantic chase, several shots are fired from his truck.

Then the car goes the wrong way on the side of the freeway and stops in a blackberry patch. The video then shows Savannah Graziano getting out of the passenger seat and walking toward the officer, who is yelling at her, according to an audio recording on her microphone.

“Come here! Come to me! Go, go, go, go, (…) go, go, go, go,” the officer calls to her.

At the same time, a radio message from the helicopter alerted officers on the ground to the teenager’s presence.

“The girl got out (…) She got out from the passenger side,” the radio warned.

In the video, the teenager first squats on the ground for a few seconds, then gets up and walks towards a group of police officers. Then there is a gunshot and a voice on the radio saying “Oh no”.

“Stop!” shouted the policeman who summoned the teenager to his colleagues. “Stop shooting! It’s in the car!”

The girl managed to be saved, but after some time she died of her injuries in the hospital.

Her father died at the scene. According to the San Bernardino County Sheriff, several firearms and body armor were found in his car, as well as hundreds of rounds of ammunition.

Authorities have not released the names of the officers involved. The investigation is ongoing.

The video calls into question the professionalism of San Bernardino Sheriff’s officers. His post comes weeks after police shot and killed a 15-year-old autistic boy in crisis.

According to an independent count by the Washington Post, more than 1,100 people have been fatally shot by police in the past 12 months.

These numbers are unofficial, and police departments are not required to report incidents to the federal government.