Medical authorities say Charles Hill, 45, was the man who was shot to death over the weekend by BART police.
Hill "had no fixed address," according to the San Francisco Medical Examiner's Office. BART police shot Hill at the Civic Center BART station after getting calls about an apparently drunk man wobbling throughout the station.
A "confrontation" occurred between the officers and Hill, which led to the fatal shooting, according to BART.
While BART Chief Kenton Rainey has defended the shooting, saying Hill was armed with a knife and using his alcohol bottle as a weapon, witnesses have told reporters a much different story.
The Bay Citizen reported yesterday that a witness told the newspaper that Hill, who was wearing a tie-dyed T-shirt and army fatigues, wasn't running or "lunging" at the cops. In other words, the shooting didn't seem justified. Rainey said that the officer did have a Taser, but chose not to use it for reasons he cannot yet explain. However, he has said he feels "comfortable" with the way the officers reacted.
BART Deputy Police Chief Daniel Hartwig told reporters last night that the agency might release video surveillance of the shooting as long as it doesn't interfere with the investigation.
Both officers have been placed on administrative leave while the agency and the District Attorney's Office investigates.
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