Stunning Body Cam Video Released Of Vallejo Police Fatal Shooting Of Local Rapper
VALLEJO (CBS SF) -- Investigators released the police officer body-cam videos Friday of the fatal shooting of a 20-year-old rapper inside a vehicle parked in the drive-thru window lane of a Vallejo Taco Bell.
Vallejo police said an employee called 911 at 10:36 p.m. on Feb. 9 to report a man slumped over the driver's seat of a silver Mercedes parked in the drive-through.
The videos show patrol officers surrounding the Mercedes, calling for the driver -- Williebo McCoy of Vallejo -- to put his hands up. McCoy was slumped over in the driver's seat. As the officers approached the vehicle they noticed McCoy was unresponsive and had a handgun on his lap.
The officers found that the vehicle was locked and that the Mercedes' transmission was in drive. Police said the officers made efforts to stop any forward progress by the Mercedes as they assessed the situation and asked for additional resources. But McCoy suddenly began to move.
Police said the officers told the driver to keep his hands visible, but he allegedly reached for the handgun on his lap. In fear for their own safety, the officers opened fire.
McCoy was given medical assistance, but was pronounced dead at the scene.
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Investigators said six officers fired multiple rounds. All shots were fired in approximately four seconds. The involved officers were placed on administrative leave at the time, but have been deemed able to return to their regular duties.
The officers involved have been identified as:
- Officer Ryan McMahon, 18-months on the job
- Officer Colin Eaton, 18-months on the job
- Officer Bryan Glick, 4-years 6-months on the job
- Officer Jordon Patzer, 7-months on the job
- Officer Anthony Romero-Cano, 7-months on the job
- Officer Mark Thompson, 12-years 4 months on the job
"This is our first time releasing video in this fashion and it is our hope that we provided sufficient context for the community to understand the facts of this incident," Capt. John Whitney said in a news release.
"The Vallejo Police Department wants to address the questions that have been raised to help the public digest both the media reports and to facilitate a community dialogue about the facts of this incident. Our hope is that this information helps members of the public separate fact from fiction regarding this incident," Whitney said.
Police said McCoy's fully-loaded, 40-caliber semi-automatic handgun with an inserted extended magazine was reported stolen in Oregon.
Attorney John Burris said McCoy's family is outraged and disgusted with the "videotaped execution of a sleeping 20-year-old African-American man by six Vallejo police officers."
"Nothing in that video warranted those officers shooting Willie McCoy dozens of times," Burris said in a news release on Friday. "Officers failed to establish a plan of action to safely remove McCoy from the car and violated longstanding officer safety principles," Burris said.
Burris said he doesn't understand why the officers refused to take a position of safety in order to resolve this incident without gunfire.
