(NewsSpace.com) – On September 26, Anthony Graziano kidnapped his 15-year-old daughter, Savannah, after allegedly killing her mother. An Amber alert was sent out for her disappearance. Authorities caught up to the duo the next day after a report surfaced that his vehicle was spotted, and both ended up dead. It took more than a year for the details to emerge, but after a journalist filed a California Public Records Act request, footage of the incident was released. What it shows contradicts what was initially reported.
The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department initially reported that Savannah had shot at deputies, which is why she was fatally injured in the shooting. However, the video released shows a completely different story.
The 15-minute footage, which is narrated, describes how officers caught up to the truck. When Graziano refused to pull over, it led to a 70-mile chase. When he tried to drive up a steep embankment, his vehicle came to a stop. The footage shows the truck reversing toward several police vehicles and the driver firing at law enforcement. He then stops, and Savannah is directed by a deputy to get out of the car.
The teenager followed directions, with a deputy yelling for her to “Come here! Come to me! Come, come, come… walk, walk, walk,” as gunfire surrounded them. The girl is then shot, at which point her body is blurred. The same deputy then turns to his fellow officers, pleading with them to “Stop shooting her! He’s in the car! Stop!” He continues, “She’s OK! He’s in the car! … Stop!” The deputies who opened fire on Savannah had a different viewpoint and were unaware that one was calling for her to walk to him. None of them were named.
Anthony Graziano died at the scene, injured in the same gunfire. While officers tried to provide aid to Savannah, she was too gravely injured and later passed away at the local hospital.
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