Arlington Police Release Body Cam Footage Of Fatal Officer-Involved Shooting
ARLINGTON, Texas (CBSDFW.COM) — The Arlington Police Department has released body cam footage from the three officers who fatally shot a man who drew a replica BB gun outside his house Saturday evening.
Just before 6:45 p.m. Sept. 14, officers responded to a report of an aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in the 700 block of Thomas Chapel Drive.
During the investigation, it was determined that a 31-year old man, assaulted the victim with the bat and caused injury to the victim's head and arm. The victim was able to leave the residence; however, the suspect refused to come outside and speak with officers.
After unsuccessfully attempting to communicate with the suspect, an emergency arrest team was positioned near the front of the residence.
The suspect opened the front door just after 8 p.m. and walked onto the front porch, where he pulled a replica BB gun from his waistband, and pointed it at them. Three officers then shot their weapons at the suspect, striking and killing him.
The department also released the following statement:
In reference to Saturday's officer-involved shooting, the Arlington Police Department is releasing a redacted copy of the involved officers' body cameras. Due to the camera positioning, the use of safety equipment (a ballistic shield), and the angle of an officer's chest versus the positioning of an officer's shoulder and head, the body camera footage of the officers that used deadly force did not fully capture the deadly aggression presented by the decedent. However, a dash camera in a patrol car at the scene did capture the decedent come out of the residence and point a firearm at the officers. This firearm was later determined to be a BB gun made as a replica of a Berretta 92F firearm.
In this case, the three body worn cameras captured footage that although is valuable in the investigation, was not the most distinguishable video to address potential community concerns. In this case, the video from a patrol vehicle captured the most compelling video. It is important to acknowledge that while digital evidence from body-worn cameras are useful in investigations, they are not absolute and the presence of body cameras does not always translate to capturing the most desirable camera angle wanted by the public.
The Arlington Police Department conducts very thorough use of force investigations, which typically require investigators to interview multiple witnesses, review numerous hours of video footage, and analyze a significant amount of forensic evidence. The department conducts concurrent administrative and criminal investigations.
Department representatives met with family members of the decedent earlier this afternoon to allow them an opportunity to view the video footage prior to the public release. The department will conduct a thorough review of all the facts of this case, including all interactions with the medical community concerning mental health services received.
WATCH: Release of Dash Camera & Body-Worn Camera Footage