A video that is long and detailed describes the incident in September 2022 when a 15-year-old girl, kidnapped by her father, was shot by deputies at the end of a 70-mile chase.
The video was acquired through a Public Records Act request by independent journalist Joey Scott and shared initially with The Guardian.The footage reveals that Savannah Graziano was shot – most likely by deputies from a distance – as she followed another deputy's directions to walk to his position, along the Interstate 15 in the city of Hesperia.
The deputy calling to Savannah yells, "Stop! Stop shooting! He's in the car! Stop!"
A deputy in the helicopter informs that "the girl's out, guys."
"Ah, no," he says as the teenager falls.
Savannah's father, Anthony Graziano, who had fired numerous shots at deputies during the lengthy pursuit, was also shot and killed.
The day prior, Graziano allegedly shot and killed Savannah's mother, Tracy Martinez, outside an elementary school in Fontana, according to CrimeOnline's report. An Amber Alert was issued for the girl, and the chase began the next day when witnesses spotted both Savannah and Graziano's truck.
Graziano attempted to leave the interstate in Hesperia, performing a U-turn and driving up on the on-ramp. But when he tried to cross the sandy area between the ramp and the roadway, he couldn't make it up an embankment and reversed back to the highway, now facing the wrong way with his truck seemingly disabled.
Savannah is observed exiting the vehicle as the deputy on the ground instructs her to walk toward him. However, with her father still shooting at deputies, and deputies at higher positions seemingly unable to observe what was happening, they fired at her.
The 15-minute video released by the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Office tracks Graziano's vehicle on maps, then includes aerial footage and cell phone video from witnesses. The deputies involved in the shootout did not have body cameras, but the sheriff's office included audio from the belt recorder of the officer directing Savannah to him. This recording also captured the sounds of a barrage of gunfire.
Testimonies from a witness and one deputy suggested that Savannah may have fired at deputies from her father's truck's passenger window, but the video released by the sheriff's office stated that this had not been confirmed.
Several police vehicles were hit by gunfire from Graziano's truck, and at least one was disabled as a result. Inside the truck, investigators discovered multiple weapons and ammunition, as well as flash bangs, smoke grenades, body armor, and tactical helmets.
While the sheriff's office is carrying out an internal review of the incident, the primary investigation is being handled by the California Department of Justice.
The release of the footage marks the first time that the sheriff's office confessed that it was their bullets that killed the girl and not those of her father.
CJ Wyatt, Savannah's uncle and her mother's brother, informed The Guardian that he held an "abusive and manipulative" Anthony Graziano responsible for the entire incident, but added that "there needs to be better training so that unarmed people aren't killed."
“I hope this video can be used for training – we need to do things differently,” he said. “She didn’t need to die.”
The Los Angeles Times released the complete video on its website.
[Featured image: Left, Anthony John Graziano and Savannah Graziano/Fontana Police Department]