Chiewelthap Mariar: Anger as worker at Oklahoma pork plant shot dead by police after being fired

Workers at a pork processing plant in Oklahoma are shocked and outraged after a disgruntled immigrant worker from Sudan was shot dead by the police.

Chiewelthap Mariar, 26, a refugee from Sudan, was shot by police officers whereas working within the Seaboard Foods meatpacking plant in Guymon on 9 January.

Guymon Police was referred to as into the manufacturing unit to take care of an “agitated and disgruntled employee”, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation mentioned.

A co-worker of Mariar, who requested anonymity, informed The Guardian he was fired for filming elements of the incident on his cellphone.

The eyewitness claimed that Mariar was sacked from his job by a supervisor on that day and was requested to complete his shift.

He mentioned Mariar was confronted by the supervisor on the store flooring and shortly police arrived to escort him from the positioning.

“I witnessed the entire thing, from when they started arguing with him until he was shot,” he informed the newspaper.

“He had a company-issued band-cutter in his hand. When the police got to the plant, the guy was already working, minding his own business.”

In an announcement, Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation mentioned “produced a knife and began advancing on officers”.

“Officers attempted to de-escalate the situation before eventually deploying a taser. The taser was unsuccessful and Mariar continued advancing on officers at which point an officer fired his service weapon striking Mariar,” it added.

However, the eyewitness who additionally produced a video mentioned he had a band-cutter in his hand whereas working earlier than he was escorted out.

“They made him out to be a danger when they said he had a knife in his hand, when it wasn’t. And that’s wrong on so many levels,” the worker mentioned.

He mentioned they have been requested to proceed working and had them cowl the scene with plastic.

“This company fired me for recording the truth they were trying to brush under the mat. They never asked me if I was OK. It was my first time seeing a guy get killed – and then I get fired.”

A spokesperson for Seaboard Corporation, the guardian firm for Seaboard Foods, mentioned in an announcement: “Following the incident, operations were ceased for the remainder of the evening and the following day, and we provided in-person counseling services for employees throughout the week, in addition to ongoing phone counseling services available 24 hours, seven days a week.”

Seaboard Foods mentioned: “We express our heartfelt sorrow to Chiewelthap Mariar’s family, coworkers, friends and those affected by his death following an incident at our Guymon processing plant involving the Guymon Police Department on Jan 9”.

“Providing our employees with a safe work environment and their well-being is extremely important to us.”

Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation mentioned they’re investigating the taking pictures and brokers will submit the report back to the district lawyer’s workplace.

The district lawyer will decide whether or not or to not file fees towards the officer concerned.