CHANDLER — Family members of a teenage police shooting victim call for the Chandler police officer to be arrested and charged with murder.
While standing in front of the Maricopa County Courthouse in downtown Phoenix, the family of Anthony Cano demanded that the Chandler officer who killed him be "held accountable."
"I don’t want things like this to continue. I don’t want people to sit here in silence like nothing is wrong," said Marcus Cano, Anthony's cousin.
On January 2, Chandler police attempted to stop Anthony, 17, while riding his bike at night without a headlight. Chandler Officer Chase Babek-Miller began chasing Anthony on foot and shot him twice in the back. Anthony died weeks later at the hospital.
Anthony did have a handgun at the time and bodycam video shows Anthony throwing the gun away when shot the first time. He was on his stomach, unarmed when Officer Babek-Miller shot him again.
HAPPENING NOW: Family and friends of Anthony Cano holding a press conference calling for Chandler PD Officer Chase Babek-Miller to be fired and charged with murder. @abc15 pic.twitter.com/ohOd5r7grb
— Adam Waltz (@Adam_Waltz) March 20, 2021
"The shooting, the way it occurred, and that second shot particularly, it was not warranted one bit," said Eva Cano, Anthony's aunt.
In the press conference, Eva and Marcus Cano demanded that Officer Babek-Miller be arrested and charged with murder for killing Anthony. Babek-Miller is currently off administrative leave and working on modified duty.
Watch the full press conference below:
The Chandler Police Department completed its investigation and submitted the case to the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office for review. Once that is complete, the police department’s Use of Force Review Board will look at the case before submitting it to a citizens review panel.
The Cano family believes that since Anthony's death, Chandler police officers have been targeting them repeatedly. On February 25, Eva Cano said she and Marcus Cano were pulled over by Chandler police for, as they were told, a license plate that didn't match the car.
During the encounter, Eva and Marcus say officers had guns drawn and did not request to see her license and registration.
"The reason they had pulled me over initially is that I had just purchased a new vehicle and the plate didn’t match the new vehicle yet due to dealership delay," said Eva Cano, "And they had their rifles out."
The Cano family said that is one of many instances of surveillance they believe Chandler police has performed.
"I think they want to show that they’re overpowering," said Marcus Cano.
Both Eva and Marcus took cell phone video of police shortly after pulling them over.
Chandler police did not respond to questions about that incident.
