GREENSBORO, N.C. (WGHP) — The Greensboro Police Department has released video in the fatal shooting of Nasanto Crenshaw, who was shot by a Greensboro police officer on August 21, 2022.
The video was released by the department on Tuesday, a little less than a month after Greensboro District Attorney Avery Crump declined to file charges against the officer involved.
According to the police’s timeline of events included in the video, the officer gets out of his car and the white Nissan allegedly operated by Crenshaw drives away, approaching a dead-end portion of the parking lot off West Market Street. Multiple people get out of the car and run away, leaving some of the doors open. Then the officer pulls up to block the car, and the Nissan hits the patrol car while backing up to turn.
Greensboro police say that the car hit the patrol vehicle as the officer was getting out of the car. He tells the driver to get on the ground. This is when police say that the Nissan accelerates forward “to where (the officer) is standing.”
He tells them to stop and fires his gun. Two shots went through the front passenger window. The Nissan hits the curb, coming to a stop.
Crenshaw was pronounced dead on the scene.
On March 9, the family of Crenshaw announced a wrongful death lawsuit, and they allege that Crenshaw was not driving towards the officer but was slowly making a three-point turn, and attorneys representing the family said it didn’t look as though the officer was in any immediate danger with prominent activist Gregory Drumwright estimating he was only going three to five miles per hour.
The attorneys for Crenshaw’s family released a statement after police released the footage, saying that the footage shows Crenshaw was not a threat and the officer’s life was not in danger. The full statement is included below.
“District Attorney Avery Crump and the Greensboro Police Department have hidden the truth for long enough but now that this video is public, it’s undeniable. Even after they have tried to put their spin on it, the facts are clear. Cpl. Sletten’s life was never in any danger. Nasanto Crenshaw was never a threat. He was scared, unarmed and running for his life when this officer gunned him down and killed him.
“The wheels of the car were clearly turned away from Sletten and he simply wasn’t in the car’s path when he fired the first shot. The front of the car had passed when he fired his second and the car had passed entirely when he fired the third shot killing Nasanto and barely missing a 14-year-old sitting in the passenger seat. Cpl. Sletten and District Attorney Crump may not know the difference between a passing car and one trying to run you over, but the people do.
“Prosecutors charge killers every day across America with less evidence than this video but apparently District Attorney Crump thinks a badge is a license to kill.”
“Perhaps Nasanto would be in the juvenile criminal court system today,” Drumwright said during a press conference announcing the lawsuit. “But he did not deserve to be shot in the neck.”
Just days after the shooting, protestors gathered in downtown Greensboro.
“The Greensboro Police Department recognizes the dignity and value of all human life and knows the circumstances of this incident on August 21st 2022 have deeply impacted the families involved, the officers, and the community,” Public Information Officer Josie Cambareri said in the video provided by the Greensboro Police Department.
A spokesperson for the GPD shared this statement with FOX8 shortly after the release of body camera footage:
This incident was independently investigated by the SBI, independently reviewed, and it was determined the officer was criminally justified by both common law principles of self-defense and also the statutory provisions of NCGS 15A-401. The law enforcement profession is a very difficult one as officers are at times forced to make split second decisions that involve life and death, with the recognition that those decisions will later on be scrutinized at the highest levels. The criminal investigation was completed independently by the SBI and now, it is our responsibility to complete an internal investigation to ensure the actions of the officer were within our policies. In addition, it is our responsibility to promote transparency and maintain the public’s trust, which is why we made the decision to petition the Court for the release of all 104 videos from this incident. The Department recognizes the value of all human life and knows this incident has deeply affected many- the family, the officer, every officer who responded to the scene, their families, and the greater community. GPD will continue to follow all local and state policies to ensure fairness and transparency during all investigations.
–Greensboro Police Department
