Five years have eclipsed since Jacob Harris, 19, met his fate at the hands of Phoenix police, and his father, Roland Harris, is escalating his quest for clarity. Demanding the city council to implore the U.S. Justice Department to unveil the full findings of its investigation, Roland remains embroiled in what he feels is an equivocal and unjust closure of his son's case. According to Roland's interview with 12News, "It’s always been anger, because I’ve never gotten the full truth, the full story."
The incident unwound on Jan. 11, 2019, after Jacob partook in an armed robbery with a posse of teens. Police engagement ensued, and ultimately, Jacob was shot in the back after allegedly pointing a gun at officers—a detail that Roland vehemently disputes, claiming his son was unarmed. While the involved officers were cleared of wrongdoing, and a wrongful death lawsuit Roland filed was dismissed, the wound of unanswered questions gnaws relentlessly for him. "Jacob was shot in the back twice," Roland related to 12News.
In a distinct encounter with the press, another layer peels back, as 12News obtained video evidence revealing that post-shooting, Jacob was not tended to immediately by the responding officers. "What was he thinking? What was going through his mind? Did he think he was dying? How the police couldn't go give him first aid? Why they didn't. They wanted him to die," Roland lamented. Aerial footage showed Jacob on the ground for nearly nine minutes before non-lethal rounds were deployed and then an additional delay before a police dog was set upon him. Legal experts, like Kenneth Williams, suggest that the failure to provide immediate aid could be seen as a due process violation, underscoring a need for policy reform.
Counterbalancing Roland's grievances, Phoenix police defended their conduct as justified. Officer Kristopher Bertz, who discharged his weapon at Harris, remains active on the force and is now equipped with a body camera along with the rest of the Special Assignment Unit—a move that might indicate at least an attempt at increased transparency in the wake of the shooting. Meanwhile, the City of Phoenix has complied with the DOJ's document requests, providing a copious torrent of information. Coalescing the DOJ's probing with recent court activity, Roland still harbors hope. "I feel that was God moving in a way to get Jacob justice," Roland shared with 12News.
