Black Lives Matter and an advocacy group for the homeless are incredibly claiming that a Cincinnati police officer was at fault for drawing his gun when a mentally ill man attacked the in his police SUV with a knife.

A Cincinnati homeless advocacy organization and a Black Lives Matter group are challenging the fatal police shooting of a 25-year-old man with a history of mental illness.

Chief Eliot Isaac said Officer Anthony Brucato was under “vicious, violent attack” by knife-wielding robbery suspect Jawari Porter when he fired six shots at Porter at Government Square early Sunday morning.

Video released Monday shows Porter lunging at Brucato in the driver’s seat of a police vehicle. Earlier video shows Porter appearing to hold a knife to the throat of a security guard at a Kroger store on Vine Street.

The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless and Black Lives Matter Cincinnati issued a joint statement saying Porter’s death was avoidable.

“The police officer had his gun drawn as soon as he opened the door. Inevitably this escalated the situation. This officer could have instead chosen a method of interaction meant to deescalate. After escalating the situation, and struggle ensued, the officer chose to shoot Mr. Porter. He had other options, including a partner coming to assist. Human life is far too important to not choose other options, even if doing so might increase immediate personal risk,” the GCCH said in a Facebook post.

The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless is drawing withering criticism on their Facebook page for their comments, and Black Lives Matter—Cincinnati is likewise being blasted by people siding with the police… and with good reason.

Here’s the security camera footage of Jawari Porter’s interactions with a security guard and the Cincinnati police.

https://youtu.be/MBmRMRTbZfY

A security guard at a Kroger confronts Porter and blocks his exit for reasons not explained.

Porter responds by drawing a knife and holding it to the security guard’s throat.

Not too long afterward, Cincinnati police drove up as Porter crossed the street. Porter noticed the police SUV, turns and approaches the SUV.

The officer driving the SUV seeing Porter approaching with his knife drawn, and draws his weapon while presumably shouting commands. The passenger-side officer exits the vehicle.

Porter launches his knife attack and the officer, trapped in his vehicle, fires six times to defend his life as he partner runs around the rear of the vehicle to support him.

Porter is so intent on stabbing the driver that he forces his way into the vehicle even as he is being shot. Contrary to what you see in the movies and on television, handgun rounds are weak and will not throw a person backward when they are hit.

Porter collapses on top of the officer he attacked, inside the police SUV. The driver’s partner rushes around to pull Porter out of the vehicle and off the driver.

Both the passenger officer and Porter fall to the ground.

Freed from Porter’s body, the driver escapes the vehicle and turns back to cover Porter with his still-warm gun as his partner gets to his feet and they call for backup.

There was nothing more the officers could have done in this situation.

Tasers are not appropriate for an attack with a weapon, such as the knife the murderous Porter had in his hand. The only rational response in such a situation is to fire until the threat ends, which is precisely what this officer did.

The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless and Black Lives Matter reveal a near psychosis developing in some quarters that officers are never justified in defending themselves if the offender is a minority.

That is an indefensible, extremist position, and one that cannot be tolerated in a civil society.