Another Unarmed Man Shot by Police
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On Thursday May 3, 2018, Steven Best was shot 5- 6 times by Arlington County Police. Steven was unarmed. He has been accused of “ramming police vehicles” “mowing down officers”
Yet he has only been charged with 2 counts of ATTEMPTED malicious wounding of law enforcement. That has been reduced from 3 counts. There are no other charges. NO police officers were hurt during this incident. We, his family do not believe the police account of events. We believe the truth will come out and Steven will be exonerated. However Steven is going to have a long road ahead defending himself against these criminal charges.
We also know that the recovery from his injuries inflicted on him at the hands of the police are going to be expensive and life long. Steven was shot 5-6 times. Once in the right hand which blew off a finger that was reattached surgically. He was shot through the left arm and that bullet grazed his chest. He was shot in his right leg. He was shot Multiple times in the center of his abdomen and his side ( not sure if it was right or left side) which went into his intestines. Steven has had multiple surgeries. He has no medical insurance and obviously cannot continue working as a plumber. By the Grace of God, Steven is alive. Steven was driving his van in South Arlington, Virgina heading home after picking up some take out and dropping off his prescription for a broken left femur from a car accident 4 days earlier. Steven was unarmed and obeyed the commands of the officers. When he put his hands up the police began shooting into the van. Steven unconsciously sped away to save his life. Eye witness accounts support this.
The first 5 days after the shooting the police department and sheriffs office made things impossible for the family to get ANY information on Stevens health status. They are not being transparent. His family had to retain an attorney just to advocate for Steven in the hospital. The police have made false statements to the media stating that, “ the hospital has updated the family regarding Steven Bests condition” This is a statement from Ashley Savage, Arlington County PD spokesperson to a reporter sent via text on May 7th.
This is misinformation, as the police are well aware that the hospital couldn’t even find him in their system to give information because of police custody. So even if the hospital wanted to give information they couldn’t find it because it’s blocked in their system and they cannot see it.
On May 11th, abruptly Steven was released from the hospital and taken to jail, where he is in isolation in a jail cell with open wounds and susceptible to infections and super bugs like MRSA. We believe that Steven was in no condition to leave the hospital that soon. He was in no condition to be out of a hospital bed. He cannot care for himself on a daily basis, Yet he is left to do so. Needless to say we are very concerned about his recovery from these injuries, without proper care and follow up. Scary when the people that inflicted these injuries on you are your captors and your only hope for proper medical care.
On May 15th, 7 friends and family members went to Arlington county court house to attend a bond hearing. Steven’s attorney and a bondsman was also present. After being there an hour, a deputy Sheriff in the courtroom asked “ who are you here for?” We told him Steven Best. He then stated “oh he was taken to the hospital last night and won’t be coming”
We were all very worried immediately cause Steven wouldn’t miss this hearing. We then frantically tried to find out info. We found out none. No one could tell us where he was. In the late afternoon we learned that Steven had been sitting in his cell the entire time. He told the deputies he had court, which they knew cause his name was on the docket, the kept telling him “ well no one has called you” . We feel like this was done intentionally to sabotage and waste peoples time and money, and also cruel and unusual to affect Stevens mental state. This is unacceptable and concerns us once more that his captors want to inflict as much mental anguish as possible on Steven. We all must remember that our constitution states that people are “ innocent until proven guilty, and have a right to due process” We believe that this was an unlawful shooting by police, use of excessive force, abuse of power and now cover up .
Please help if you can and all proceeds raised from this fund will go to Stevens legal defense and medical rehabilitation. Any proceeds that remain will be donated by Sandra Rose to an organization that helps victims of police brutality and injustices.
Thank you
Sandra Rose ( Stevens Mother) and The Family of Steven Best.
Yet he has only been charged with 2 counts of ATTEMPTED malicious wounding of law enforcement. That has been reduced from 3 counts. There are no other charges. NO police officers were hurt during this incident. We, his family do not believe the police account of events. We believe the truth will come out and Steven will be exonerated. However Steven is going to have a long road ahead defending himself against these criminal charges.
We also know that the recovery from his injuries inflicted on him at the hands of the police are going to be expensive and life long. Steven was shot 5-6 times. Once in the right hand which blew off a finger that was reattached surgically. He was shot through the left arm and that bullet grazed his chest. He was shot in his right leg. He was shot Multiple times in the center of his abdomen and his side ( not sure if it was right or left side) which went into his intestines. Steven has had multiple surgeries. He has no medical insurance and obviously cannot continue working as a plumber. By the Grace of God, Steven is alive. Steven was driving his van in South Arlington, Virgina heading home after picking up some take out and dropping off his prescription for a broken left femur from a car accident 4 days earlier. Steven was unarmed and obeyed the commands of the officers. When he put his hands up the police began shooting into the van. Steven unconsciously sped away to save his life. Eye witness accounts support this.
The first 5 days after the shooting the police department and sheriffs office made things impossible for the family to get ANY information on Stevens health status. They are not being transparent. His family had to retain an attorney just to advocate for Steven in the hospital. The police have made false statements to the media stating that, “ the hospital has updated the family regarding Steven Bests condition” This is a statement from Ashley Savage, Arlington County PD spokesperson to a reporter sent via text on May 7th.
This is misinformation, as the police are well aware that the hospital couldn’t even find him in their system to give information because of police custody. So even if the hospital wanted to give information they couldn’t find it because it’s blocked in their system and they cannot see it.
On May 11th, abruptly Steven was released from the hospital and taken to jail, where he is in isolation in a jail cell with open wounds and susceptible to infections and super bugs like MRSA. We believe that Steven was in no condition to leave the hospital that soon. He was in no condition to be out of a hospital bed. He cannot care for himself on a daily basis, Yet he is left to do so. Needless to say we are very concerned about his recovery from these injuries, without proper care and follow up. Scary when the people that inflicted these injuries on you are your captors and your only hope for proper medical care.
On May 15th, 7 friends and family members went to Arlington county court house to attend a bond hearing. Steven’s attorney and a bondsman was also present. After being there an hour, a deputy Sheriff in the courtroom asked “ who are you here for?” We told him Steven Best. He then stated “oh he was taken to the hospital last night and won’t be coming”
We were all very worried immediately cause Steven wouldn’t miss this hearing. We then frantically tried to find out info. We found out none. No one could tell us where he was. In the late afternoon we learned that Steven had been sitting in his cell the entire time. He told the deputies he had court, which they knew cause his name was on the docket, the kept telling him “ well no one has called you” . We feel like this was done intentionally to sabotage and waste peoples time and money, and also cruel and unusual to affect Stevens mental state. This is unacceptable and concerns us once more that his captors want to inflict as much mental anguish as possible on Steven. We all must remember that our constitution states that people are “ innocent until proven guilty, and have a right to due process” We believe that this was an unlawful shooting by police, use of excessive force, abuse of power and now cover up .
Please help if you can and all proceeds raised from this fund will go to Stevens legal defense and medical rehabilitation. Any proceeds that remain will be donated by Sandra Rose to an organization that helps victims of police brutality and injustices.
Thank you
Sandra Rose ( Stevens Mother) and The Family of Steven Best.
Fundraising team: Team Steven (3)
Angela Rouse
Organizer
Arlington, VA
Heather Ross
Team member
Steve Best
Team member