On May 1, 2020, Denver PD killed William Lamont DeBose directly beneath our sixth floor balcony off Colfax and Irving.
A little before 10:30pm that night, we woke up to the sounds of gunfire outside our window.
My immediate reaction was to grab my camera. This image is one out of nine that I captured that night (each image a slightly different version of this one). When the police officers moved away from William’s body, through the long lens I could see the light had left his eyes. That’s when I stopped pressing the shutter.
Over the next few days, I was able to get in contact with William’s family. I told them my story and shared the images with them. We organized rallies calling for accountability.
Eventually, William’s killing was deemed justifiable by DA Beth McCann.
A young Black man in Denver was chased through the streets by a platoon of cops and gunned down.
William was 21 years old and a father of two.
He was killed 24 days before the murder of George Floyd in Minnesota. For many in this country, Floyd’s killing was a tipping point. The killing of William Lamont DeBose was mine.
This image was supposed to be published in a book recounting the events of 2020. I had received the blessing of the family, and I had committed to donating 100% of my portion of the proceeds to his family. The book never panned out, unfortunately.
I had always struggled coming up with a way to share this story. There was never going to be a “good” time. I just know today was the day I needed to.
-Armando Geneyro