From The Guardian, July 6, 2008
A young unarmed Irishman – shot dead by American [Silverton, Oregon] police last week – was running barefoot and had stumbled before four to seven rounds were fired into his body, according to an eyewitness.
The family of Andrew Hanlon, 20, who had mental health problems, have been sent an audio recording by an anonymous woman who claims to have witnessed the fatal shooting last Monday.
Andrew’s sister, Melanie, and her husband, Nathan Heise, received the recording at their Oregon home on Friday.
The witness on the disc said she was related to the woman who had called the police after Andrew, apparently in a delusional and confused state, had banged on her door at around 11pm last Monday. She said her relative had called the police believing her home was being burgled and then called her husband who drove to the house with a friend.
The pair chased Andrew away, and then a policeman arrived on the scene and saw Andrew running down the street in his bare feet.
Andrew tripped and was trying to get up when the officer [Tony Gonzalez, pictured below] opened fire, she said.
Andrew’s brother-in-law, Nathan, who viewed his body with Andrew’s sister on Thursday, said there appeared to be seven strike wounds on the body.
Andrew’s family believe he had been on his way to his sister’s home when he got lost and was knocking on doors to ask for directions.
The family, originally from Dundrum in south Dublin, are passing the CD on to a lawyer and may be joining hundreds of other families across America taking action against police forces whose officers have shot dead mentally ill relatives.
EXTRA – Police group backs officer in shooting – It says actions were justified in death of man from Ireland, Salem Statesman Journal, July 9 2008
EXTRA – Silverton residents still feel shock of shooting a week later, Oregonian, July 7 2008
EXTRA BELOW – New details revealed in Silverton police-involved shooting, KATU.com, July 2 2008
EXTRA – Witness sends clue to victim’s sister – US officials still silent on death of Irish man in Oregon shooting, Independent.ie, July 6 2008
EXTRA – US police won’t tell me why they shot my son, says mother, Belfast Telegraph, July 4, 2008
EXTRA – Hanlon ‘shot seven times’ by US police, RTE News, July 4 2008
EXTRA – Authorities probe fatal shooting by Oregon officer, AP.com, July 2 2008
EXTRA – Irishman’s killing spurs uproar abroad, Andrew Hanlon’s Silverton relatives receive a mystery CD linked to an alleged witness – Oregonian July 5 2008
EXTRA – Silverton shooting death of Dublin man resonates in Ireland, Oregonian, July 3 2008
EXTRA – Police shooting brings out 100 protesters in Silverton, Oregonian, July 2 2008
EXTRA – Burglary call ends in fatal shooting – Silverton officer kills Irish citizen who overstayed visa; circumstances vague, Silverton Appeal Tribune, July 2 2008
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_HTOoC7KHw8]