Pittsburg Police Identify Officer-Involved Shooting Victim, Release Body Cam Footage
PITTSBURG (CBS SF) -- The Pittsburg Police Department released the name of the man Thursday who an officer shot and killed the week before, as well as body cam footage of the incident.
Police revealed that 31-year-old Patrick Watkins was fatally shot after pulling a .22 caliber pistol on officers outside an apartment complex after he ignored orders to drop the weapon.
The incident occurred at the Stoneman Apartment Complex at 2320 Loveridge Road at 9:30 p.m. last Thursday after Watkins's ex-girlfriend called 911 to report that he was banging on her apartment and wielding a handgun. Responding officers arrived to find Watkins sitting on a stairway leading to his ex-girlfriend's apartment.
Upon seeing police, Watkins started climbing the stairs, away from the approaching officers. They followed him and when they reached the top of the stairwell, they noticed he held a pistol. He ignored their orders to drop the weapon so one of the officers, Ofc. John Odell, shot him.
The shooting felled Watkins. While laying on the ground, incapacitated from his wounds, Watkins continued to point his pistol at officers. Another officer, Ofc. Greg Simpson, fired on Watkins before they moved to a safer location.
The officers continued to call on Watkins to drop his pistol for 40 minutes before attempting to approach him again. Watkins did not respond to any of their remarks and when they came close to him while wielding bullet-proof shields, he did not move. They removed his weapon and provided medical assistance but too much time had passed and he died on scene.
READ MORE: Man With Gun At Ex-Girlfriend's Apartment Shot Dead By Pittsburg Police
After the shooting, the officers discovered Watkins's handgun was unloaded, but reportedly a single bullet was near him at the time of his death.
Since the shooting, multiple agencies started investigating the incident, including the Contra Costa County District Attorney's Office and an independent outside investigator.