A former National Football League (NFL) player, Ekom Udofia has been shot dead by police in Phoenix, Arizona.
According to Mail Online, Ekom Udofia, 33, was shot at least ten times by officers who also deployed stun bags, plastic baton rounds, pepper balls and a dog on him before he died.
In a critical incident briefing posted by Phoenix Police Department, Udofia can be seen approaching officers while they shouted repeatedly for him to drop his weapon – later identified as a BB gun – before they shot him multiple times.
Udofia, a former football player with the NFL and Stanford University, suffered from mental health problems in recent years, according to court documents.
Police were called to the incident in the early hours of November 30 following a report of a man acting strangely, according to police spokesperson Sgt. Mercedes Fortune.
He appeared to be jumping onto vehicles as they were driving near Indian School Road and 23rd Avenue in Phoenix.
The 911 caller told police that the man appeared to be under the influence of drugs.
‘He’s trying to jump on the car, and tries to… to shit the car with his body,’ the caller told the police operator.
Two officers arrived within minutes of the call and saw Udofia, who was walking in the middle of the road, was armed with a gun, Fortune said.
The footage, which is partially obscured by the police vehicle’s front door, shows Udofia walking towards the officers and repeatedly ignoring their shouts for him to drop his weapon.
One officer can be heard screaming: ‘Phoenix police, drop the gun.
‘Drop the gun man, please, please. Do not make me shoot you.’
As Udofia continued to walk towards the officers, one officer is heard shouting to the other: ‘Dude, I’ve got to shoot him, bro’. When he was within feet of them, the police fired shots at the former football star.
The two officers asked him to drop the gun for at least 30 seconds before they fired their weapons, shooting at least five times.
After he was shot, Udofia continued to hold on to the gun and officers repeatedly told him to throw the gun away, said Fortune. Udofia, who can be seen rolling on the ground with no shoes on, can be heard screaming.
Additional officers who arrived at the scene used a stunbag and plastic baton rounds in an effort to get the suspect to drop his gun.
About six minutes after the initial shots were fired, Udofia can be seen pointing the gun at officers, Fortune said. In response, officers fired at him with live rounds at least six times.
Police say Udofia tried to move toward the gun whilst he was laying on the ground. One of the officers can be seen shooting at his chest and head with multiple pepper balls whilst yelling: ‘Move away from the gun!’
A police dog was deployed to take Udofia into custody, Fortune said. The canine can be seen biting his leg and pulling him away from his gun.
He was rushed to hospital but was later pronounced dead, Fortune added.
An internal investigation by the Professional Standard Bureau is underway as well as a criminal investigation.
Once the criminal investigation is completed, it will be revired by the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office to determine if any of the officers should be charged with Udofia’s killing.
Udofia, who was from Scottsdale near Phoenix, Arizona, struggled with his mental health, according to court documents obtained by USA Today.
He had been arrested and placed on probation for disorderly conduct and indecent exposure but was successfully completing the requirements set in place for his probation.
‘He does not view himself as a bad person and believes he needs more help with his mental health than jail time,’ court documents revealed. ‘His criminal history has all been mental health related and he is in a good place now.’
Udofia played football for Stanford University between 2005 and 2009 before playing for the Cincinnati Bengals and Saints in the NFL.
He played during his teenage years for Chaparral High School and was described as ‘smart’ and ‘respectable’ by his former coaches.
‘The kid was a great kid,’ Tony Tabor, who was defensive line coach at Chaparral High School when Udiofia played there, told USA Today after learning of his death. ‘It killed me to hear that. It was just the nicest family you ever met in your life.
‘I don’t know if something happened to him, if something snapped.’
‘It was not like him, contrary to the kid I knew,’ said Ron Estabrook, Udiofa’s former head coach at Chaparrel. ‘I would say he was going to be a successful person in live. That would have been my prediction at the time.
‘He was smart, respectful, a team player, all the things you would want from a player.
‘I remember sitting in his parents’ living room when Stanford was recruiting him. They recruited his older brother, too.’