A lawyer for the family of Willie McCoy says the 21-year-old California rapper was shot about 25 times by police who found him sleeping in his car.
Authorities said McCoy, who performed as “Willie Bo,” was fatally shot by six officers earlier this month who say they found him unresponsive in his car in a Taco Bell drive-through with a handgun in his lap.
Melissa Nold, an attorney representing the McCoy family, told NBC News that the performer was shot in his face, throat, ear and chest.
“Overkill is an understatement,” Nold said.
{mosads}Vallejo, Calif., police did not disclose how many bullets hit McCoy. A coroner’s report has not been released, according to NBC News.
Officials said that they found McCoy unresponsive with a handgun in his lap, and that they discharged their weapons “in fear for their own safety” after he allegedly made a sudden movement.
Police said they were called to the Taco Bell by employees who said they saw a driver slumped over in his car around 10:30 p.m. Officers said they fired at McCoy after he ignored commands to “put his hands up” and reportedly reached for his gun.
McCoy died at the scene.
Nold, the McCoys’ attorney, disputed police claims that they did not attempt to secure the gun before McCoy woke up because the doors to his car were locked. Citing video of the car being towed, Nold said that the front passenger side window was broken and covered by plastic, which could have given officers easy access to the inside of the vehicle, according to NBC News.
McCoy’s family has questioned the police response, and called for the officers involved to face criminal prosecution.