TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — Recently released court documents show Tony McDade's mother was at the same location, asking the police for help at the time of the officer-involved shooting that ended with McDade's death.
The last moments of McDade’s life are included in documents filed by the Florida Police Benevolent Association, which is trying to shield the names of both officers involved under Marsy’s Law.
At approximately 11:15 a.m. May 27, an officer, identified only as “John Doe 2,” responded to a call about a stabbing in the Bond community, according to the report.
The call described the stabbing suspect as “bald, wearing all black and armed with a gun,” the police union document says. Doe 2 spotted a car parked in the road and someone, later identified as McDade, leaning inside and talking to someone.
The person in the car was later identified as his mother, Wanda McDade.
According to court documents, Wanda McDade leaped out of her car and ran toward a second officer pleading for help.
“That officer exited his patrol vehicle and began speaking with the citizen who was frantically pleading for help. Due to her frantic state the citizen was largely incoherent, but the officer could make out that the citizen was claiming somebody was ‘suicidal,’” the report says.
The report continues that at the same time, "McDade began to take steps toward the second officer, but pivoted back towards Doe 2 when his mother entered his would-be line of fire with the second patrol officer."
McDade moved toward Doe 2 and held his arms out in a shooting stance, according to the report.
Court documents say Doe 2 was still in his patrol vehicle and "completely caught off guard by the unidentified person who was approaching toward him in an aggressive fashion, and he immediately recognized that the unidentified person was pointing a firearm at him.”
The officer, Doe 2, was in fear for his life, according to the police union.
The document says, "In self-defense, Doe 2 managed to partially exit his patrol vehicle and discharge his firearm. McDade fell to the ground but continued to reach for the firearm.”
Mutaqee Akbar, the attorney representing the McDade family has called for Tallahassee police and prosecutors to release body camera video of the shooting.
Akbar also noted that McDade, who spent many years in and out of state and federal prison, suffered from mental health problems.
"Tony’s lifelong trauma and the resulting mental health issues resonate with so many," Akbar said. "The fact that Tony needed an officer to show up willing to help him instead of putting five bullets in him also resonates with many. Having that discussion does not take away from the tragedy of Malik Jackson being killed."
The details in the fatal officer-involved shooting, TPD’s third of the year, were included in the latest round of motions in a lawsuit filed by the PBA against the city of Tallahassee.
The police union is trying to block the city from releasing the name of the officers involved.
They argued the officers are afforded confidentiality under Marsy’s Law, a constitutional amendment passed by Florida voters in 2018 designed to protect the privacy of crime victims.
"The requested names of officers involved in recent shootings have not been released," TPD said on its website. "These names are the subject of litigation."
The PBA filed June 1 in Leon Circuit Court.
This is a developing story.
