ThisIsButter

0:00 - Intro 0:21 - 911 calls 1:35 - Cellphone video 1:59 - Body cam 1 6:43 - Photos 6:46 - Body cam 2 7:29 - Cellphone video ----- Body-worn camera video released by the Sheriff’s Department Tuesday shows deputies shoot a man armed with a BB handgun and knife in Bonsall earlier this month after he ignored their commands and continued to walk toward them. The man survived his injuries and was arrested on suspicion of brandishing a deadly weapon while resisting arrest and obstructing an officer, sheriff’s officials said. The edited video captures Deputies Jorge Chavez and Lisa Lee shoot Patrick Wendell Lowell, 66, of Escondido, in the legs and lower body around 11:35 a.m. May 4 along state Route 76 near Via Montellano. Text in the video explains that 911 received 11 calls from witnesses reporting a man — later identified as Lowell — walking down the side of the road with weapons in his hands. In the recorded audio clips, one witness reported seeing a man walking down the road with “two Glocks in his hands,” while another caller said it was a “pistol and knife” in either hand. Footage captured by a passing driver then shows Lowell walking with what appears to be a gun and knife in his hand. The gun was later determined to be a Glock replica BB-gun pistol, the video says. A knife was also recovered at the scene. The video then cuts to footage captured by Chavez’s body-worn camera while they confront the suspect. Chavez tells dispatchers the man is walking toward them with his hands on the gun. Chavez and Lee both raise their firearms while standing behind the vehicle’s doors. “Sir, stop. I’m telling you right now to stop,” Chavez yells. His body-worn camera, which is visually obstructed as he stands behind his SUV door, does not show Lowell. “If you come any closer, you may be shot.” “Do not do this!” Chavez continues to order Lowell to stop walking toward them and to stop pointing the gun at them. Lee’s body-worn camera records Chavez’s orders but is also obstructed by the vehicle’s passenger side door. “Stop right now,” Lee yells. Chavez then opens fire multiple times, followed by Lee. Lowell falls to the ground after being struck.

Videos released by the Columbus Division of Police show an exchange of gunfire that left one officer shot and an Amazon security guard dead. The bodycam and police car dashcam captured the moments around 6 p.m. Sunday when Columbus police caught up with 22-year-old Ali Hamsa Yusuf‘s car, following a shooting at a local Amazon warehouse. Squad vehicles pinned him at the intersection of Georgesville and Clime Road, but the dashcam video showed he got out of his car and immediately began firing at the officers behind him. A male officer could be heard groaning as the gunfire continued. He and another officer got out of the car to shoot back, and his bodycam captured the driver-side window shattered by a bullet. The dashcam showed Yusuf running up a small hill to a HomeBuys parking lot, and still firing at the officers behind him. Officers returned fire and Yusuf eventually collapsed on the hill. Starting from Yusuf’s first shot, the continuous exchange of gunfire lasted eight seconds. After the shooting, the officer who groaned realized he had been shot. “I’m hit,” he could be heard saying in the bodycam. “104, I’m hit by a bullet.” Despite multiple officers checking on him, he told them he was “good.” They could be heard saying they didn’t see signs of bleeding, but then told him to go to the hospital. Another officer took him to Grant Medical Center in stable condition, and he was later released from the hospital. Columbus Police Chief Elaine Bryant said that the officer’s bulletproof vest stopped the gunshot from causing a more serious injury. Yusuf was taken to Doctors West Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 6:57 p.m. The shootout with police stemmed from an earlier report of gunfire at Amazon’s CMH5 distribution center, located west of Columbus. Yusuf was a security guard assigned to the building by an outside contractor. Investigators said he showed up with a gun around 4:45 p.m. West Jefferson officers initially responded to the warehouse, where more than 100 employees were inside, after they said Yusuf showed up with a gun. Yusuf fired one shot and damaged the building before leaving, but no one was injured, according to police. Witnesses gave differing accounts on the number of shots fired in the facility. One 911 caller stated he heard shots fired inside the building and a woman screaming before people started going outside. Another 911 caller, who identified himself as an Amazon employee, said Yusuf was his “trainee” and that he shot at him twice but missed.

The Henderson Police Department (HPD) is shedding some light on a barricade incident that ended with the suspect's death last month. The incident began on Friday, April 12, and ended during the early hours of Sunday, April 14 at a home located near Galleria and Cadence Vista drives. Police say they were trying to apprehend 31-year-old Trevor Cooper, who was wanted for various charges including kidnapping. When he refused to come out of the home, police began expanding their response efforts. During a briefing posted by HPD Tuesday afternoon, police noted how technological resources, including robots and drones, were used during negotiations with Cooper. They would later become disabled due to his actions, police say. Audio from the department's radio traffic was also added to the briefing video, in which an interaction between authorities can be heard after Cooper fired toward the SWAT team. The shooting would later be seen on body cam video where Cooper can be heard telling officers to "get out" although he is not immediately seen in the video. SWAT officers are then seen rushing back to the outside of the home. No officers were reportedly injured following the gunfire exchange. Cooper would later be found dead just after midnight on Sunday. Towards the end of the video, HPD confirmed that Cooper did not display signs of trauma or gunshot wounds, and his cause of death was still pending.

Seattle Police arrested two suspects after they were caught red-handed with a stolen cash register when exiting a business in West Seattle, two weeks ago. On April 28th at approximately 7:15 p.m., Officers were stopped at a pharmacy near 16th Avenue South & South Roxbury Street and arrested an adult female carrying a stolen cash register. The associated male suspect standing next to her ran away from the area. While conducting their investigation, the female attempted to conceal a handgun, but it was located by Officers and seized as evidence. It was not used in the crime. Officers also developed probable cause to arrest the male for assault. The 40-year-old male suspect was located shortly after, and fled from officers when being detained. He was quickly apprehended and arrested by multiple patrol officers. The 20-year-old woman was booked into King County Jail for Theft, and Unlawful Carry of a Pistol. The male was charged with Obstructing a Law Enforcement Officer. He was arrested for a previous incident of domestic violence by King County Sheriffs. He was booked into South Correctional Entity jail.

Two people are dead after what a police union representative called a “gun battle” between an apparent domestic violence suspect and Columbus police Saturday night. According to Columbus police dispatchers, the shootout happened just after 7 p.m. on the 4700 block of McAllister Avenue. Brian Toth, the executive vice president for the Fraternal Order of Police, said the situation appears to have started when officers responded to a domestic violence call. “Domestic violence is the worst kind of call a police officer is going to go on,” he said. When officers arrived, they were met with gunfire from a “heavily armed suspect” with multiple weapons, Toth said, adding that bystanders were in the area when the shooting started. Columbus police later said the suspect had a rifle. At least one officer returned fire and struck the suspect, Columbus police said. He was pronounced dead at 7:50 p.m. No officers were injured in the incident. “The suspect, he dictated their response,” Toth said. “When the officers pulled up, they had no idea they were going to run into a gun battle, and they did. And thankfully they’re alive and those innocent bystanders, thankfully they’re alive by the grace of God as well.” According to Columbus police, as emergency responders secured the scene, medics and officers were directed to a home on the 100 block of Lockwood Road, where they found a woman police said was shot by the suspect before the shootout. She was pronounced dead on the scene at 7:18 p.m. Officials have not released the identity of the suspect

After an inquiry from 18 News, the Elmira PD has released the bodycam video from an officer who was charged by an angry dog and was forced to shoot it on May 7. The video shows the officer getting out of his police cruiser, followed by events leading up to, and including, the moment the officer shot the dog that was charging toward him. A News Release from EPD says this was not the dog’s first problem. It had bitten a neighbor in December 2022, and had a court order for the dog to be “securely confined”. It was running loose on the day the officer was forced to shoot it. The officer fired his first shot, which did not hit the dog. The dog survived the shooting. Its owner chose to have it put down after it was taken to a vet for examination. As of Tuesday, May 14, no charges have been filed against the dog owner.

At approximately 3:25 a.m. on Sunday, May 12, Deputy Patel observed a gray Ford F-150 driving recklessly while traveling west on SR-100 in Bunnell. Deputy Patel attempted to conduct a traffic stop, but the vehicle refused to stop, weaving back and forth between the two westbound lanes and driving onto the sidewalk near Gospel Gardens. The vehicle then struck a tree, crossed into eastbound oncoming traffic lane, and crashed into a wooded area. Master Deputy Logsdon made contact with the driver, later identified as Nicholas Scarpa, 28, a Palm Coast resident. Scarpa appeared to have bloodshot and watery eyes, slurred speech, and had trouble standing. Upon completion of the traffic crash investigation by the Bunnell Police Department, M/D Logsdon conducted a field sobriety test on Scarpa. After failing a series of exercises, Scarpa was arrested for Driving Under the Influence with a blood-alcohol level (BAL) of 0.096. He was transported to AdventHealth where he refused medical treatment and was then transported to the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility. He was released on $1,000 bond. Scarpa was previously arrested for DUI in August 2021, and on charges of Refusal to Submit BAL Test, Possession of Alprazolam, and Possession of Hydrocodone. “It’s a miracle this impaired driver didn’t kill someone. He failed to maintain his lane and ultimately crashed his vehicle before he could finally be taken off the road,” said Sheriff Rick Staly. “Unfortunately, this isn’t the first time this reckless and drunk driver has made the poor decision to drive intoxicated.”

Videos released by the Columbus Division of Police show an exchange of gunfire that left one officer shot and an Amazon security guard dead. The bodycam and police car dashcam captured the moments around 6 p.m. Sunday when Columbus police caught up with 22-year-old Ali Hamsa Yusuf‘s car, following a shooting at a local Amazon warehouse. Squad vehicles pinned him at the intersection of Georgesville and Clime Road, but the dashcam video showed he got out of his car and immediately began firing at the officers behind him. A male officer could be heard groaning as the gunfire continued. He and another officer got out of the car to shoot back, and his bodycam captured the driver-side window shattered by a bullet. The dashcam showed Yusuf running up a small hill to a HomeBuys parking lot, and still firing at the officers behind him. Officers returned fire and Yusuf eventually collapsed on the hill. Starting from Yusuf’s first shot, the continuous exchange of gunfire lasted eight seconds. After the shooting, the officer who groaned realized he had been shot. “I’m hit,” he could be heard saying in the bodycam. “104, I’m hit by a bullet.” Despite multiple officers checking on him, he told them he was “good.” They could be heard saying they didn’t see signs of bleeding, but then told him to go to the hospital. Another officer took him to Grant Medical Center in stable condition, and he was later released from the hospital. Columbus Police Chief Elaine Bryant said that the officer’s bulletproof vest stopped the gunshot from causing a more serious injury. Yusuf was taken to Doctors West Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 6:57 p.m. The shootout with police stemmed from an earlier report of gunfire at Amazon’s CMH5 distribution center, located west of Columbus. Yusuf was a security guard assigned to the building by an outside contractor. Investigators said he showed up with a gun around 4:45 p.m. West Jefferson officers initially responded to the warehouse, where more than 100 employees were inside, after they said Yusuf showed up with a gun. Yusuf fired one shot and damaged the building before leaving, but no one was injured, according to police. Witnesses gave differing accounts on the number of shots fired in the facility. One 911 caller stated he heard shots fired inside the building and a woman screaming before people started going outside. Another 911 caller, who identified himself as an Amazon employee, said Yusuf was his “trainee” and that he shot at him twice but missed.

The Columbus Division of Police released multiple dash camera videos showing a chase between two teenagers in a stolen Hyundai and more than a dozen law enforcement officers earlier this week. The police chase began near the John Glenn International Airport with the Whitehall Division of Police but moved into the southwest side of Columbus around 1:20 p.m. on Tuesday. At 1:32 p.m., the teenage driver made a sudden U-turn at Clime Road near River Bend Road. A Columbus police cruiser struck the side of the Hyundai, caving in the passenger side door and deploying the airbags. Before that collision, the driver-side door had visible damage, but it's unclear if that occurred during the chase. The chase continued on Clime Road and throughout the Hilltop neighborhood before eventually ending up on Clime Road again. Officers could be seen using spike strips, but the teen was able to avoid them. After the teens got back onto Demorest Road, they drove through a shopping center parking lot. A police officer rammed into the back of the Hyundai as it got back onto the road, causing the rear bumper to fall off. The officer hit the bumper again and the Hyundai spun out into a different Columbus police cruiser. The Hyundai, despite being hit again, was able to escape. The chase continued down to a construction site on Eakin Road, where officers had trouble keeping up with the vehicle and could be heard saying they couldn't see. After driving out of the neighborhood, the Hyundai went down a dirt road on West Mound Street. An officer was able to use another pit maneuver and the Hyundai crashed into a tree. Officers took the teens into custody. Both have a history with stolen cars. “Stolen cars have become an increasing problem in Franklin County. This is also considering the severity in nature of the incident, the amount of people who were impacted by it, community members who could have been impacted by the incident,” the prosecutor said in court. Both teens are being held in juvenile detention until their next hearing.

At 12:51 a.m., TPD responded to a 911 call of an armed robbery at the Tudor House Inn on East Archer Street. The victim said they were assaulted and robbed by a suspect, later identified as Aaron Gonzalez, who had a gun. Gonzalez also fired the gun into the air during the incident. After arriving on scene, officers reviewed security footage that corroborated the victim's account and showed the suspect pointing a pistol at another guest as well. Witnesses also confirmed what the victim described. Police secured the perimeter and tried to speak with the suspect, who made contradictory statements and ignored what police were saying. Gonzalez fired a round in the room while officers were surrounding the room, and it was not clear if he was firing at officers. He then exited the room by trying to disguise himself as an old man and left the scene on foot, which prompted a pursuit. Gonzalez was running toward an area where civilians were. TPD said because Gonzalez showed no regard for the safety of other, an officer fired their gun to stop him from endangering citizens. Gonzalez was then apprehended by police and was given medical aid at the scene before being taken to the hospital. Detectives searched his room and found a gun believed to be used in the robbery. Police also found evidence of where a gun was fired in the room. Gonzalez was charged with discharging a gun into a dwelling, obstructing an officer and possession of a gun after former conviction of a felony. He pleaded to the charges and is currently serving an eight-year sentence in the Lexington Assessment and Reception Center in Lexington, Oklahoma.

Police say NYPD officers fatally shot a man who charged at them with a knife in Queens on Friday. It happened at an apartment building near 102nd Street and 62nd Avenue in Rego Park just before 7 p.m. Chief of Department Jeffrey Maddrey says four NYPD members -- including two officers and a sergeant -- were responding to a report of an assault on the second floor of the building. Police say as they exited the staircase, they saw a 46-year-old man armed with a knife. They yelled at the man to drop his weapon, but the man then allegedly charged at the officers. Maddrey says the sergeant discharged his Taser as the two officers fired approximately four shots at the man, striking him. Officers then began life-saving measures. The man was taken to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Police say witnesses told investigators there was a family gathering happening in a second-floor apartment when there was some kind of a dispute. "I'm surprised to hear this kind of crime happen in this neighborhood because I've been living in this neighborhood over 20 years and this is the second time I heard a crime," neighbor Yasemin Demirci said. "Everyone is [on] edge, maybe it's just like the pandemic opened a door for them to come out and hurt someone that they love or who is close to them." According to police, surveillance footage shows a woman leave the apartment holding her stomach, followed a male who tries to hold the door. The 46-year-old man is then seen leaving the apartment armed with the knife. "We see a female exit an apartment. She's holding her stomach. She's bleeding from the stomach. We see another male family member or friend try to hold the door, and then we see a male exit with the knife," Maddrey told reporters. "These situations are fast-paced and dynamic. Our officers, they knew they were responding to a 34, assault. As soon as they walk out the staircase, a male is charging at them with a knife. They give commands to drop. The male didn't stop. The sergeant tried to use his Taser but two of the officers, they fired their weapon." Police say they believe there were children present at the gathering. Maddrey said the woman suffered at least two stab wounds to the stomach and was taken to a local hospital for treatment. She was in critical condition Saturday. The officers were also sent to the hospital to be checked out.

Sometimes seeing is believing, so we are sharing this video as a reminder about the hazards that can exist while driving on wet and flooded roadways. Reduce your speed to increase your safety. We are thankful the officers and workers helping clear the initial crash were not injured. The driver and passengers in the vehicle that hydroplaned and crashed into the tow truck, fortunately, did not suffer serious injury.

On Wednesday, March 27, 2024, at 3:23 a.m., the Riverside County Sheriff’s Special Enforcement Bureau responded to a residence in the 900 block of North Vista Way in Colton to serve a search warrant for a suspect wanted in a series of armed robberies. Deputies arrived on the scene and made announcements instructing the occupants of the residence to exit. After several announcements, a female exited the residence and was detained without incident. A male remained inside the residence and started shooting at deputies from inside, and a deputy-involved shooting occurred. When gunfire ceased, deputies cleared the residence and located the suspect. He was pronounced deceased at the scene. A firearm was located near the suspect. No injuries were sustained by the female or deputies during this incident. This is an ongoing investigation, and no additional details are available at this time. The involved deputy will be placed on paid administrative leave according to Department policy. The name of the involved deputy will not be released at this time. The suspect’s identity will also be withheld pending next of kin notification.

Sonoma County first responders rescued two people on a sunset hike Sunday night who were stranded on cliffs near Alamere Falls in Point Reyes National Seashore, authorities said. Video released by the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office Monday shows the pair being plucked from a cliff shortly after 9 p.m. by Henry-1 helicopter crew. “I gotcha,” the tactical flight officer can be heard saying to the first hiker after pulling off from the cliff. “Thank you,” the hiker responds. According to officials, as the hikers were on their way back from watching the sunset, they became stuck in the remote location by the incoming tide, which cut off their path back to the trailhead. Due to the location, Marin County Fire Department requested Henry-1, which utilized the helicopter’s belly lights and searchlight to conduct the nighttime rescue. After locating the hikers about 200 feet up from the ocean on a small ledge, the helicopter landed on a nearby bluff. The crew configured a 100-foot line, which the tactical flight officer used to reach the pair in flight. The officer placed the two people in a horse collar rescue device and the helicopter flew them back to the nearby bluff one at a time, officials said. The Henry-1 paramedic evaluated the hikers on the bluff and determined that they were uninjured. They were then loaded into the helicopter and flown to a parking lot where they were released to personnel with the Bolinas Fire Department. Both were treated for cold exposure.

On April 22, Sergeant Townley and K9 Sika successfully located a missing child with autism. Sika is a dedicated search dog that helps to locate missing people. We thank K9 Sika for helping to bring this child home.

A helicopter unit from the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office was dispatched to Tomales Bay on Sunday at 2:35 p.m. after receiving a report of a capsized boat. The helicopter unit, which had just finished a water rescue demonstration at the nearby Bodega Bay Fisherman’s Festival, arrived in the area just seven minutes after receiving the report, according to the sheriff’s office. The unit spotted the capsized boat in the middle of the bay, with two people sitting on the overturned boat’s hull and two other people clinging to its sides. The helicopter unit then initiated a “long line rescue,” a maneuver that typically involves loading a stranded person into a harness attached to a long rope dangling from the craft, which then carries the stranded person to safety. The sheriff’s office said that a paramedic from the helicopter unit sat with the boaters as the rest of the stranded individuals were rescued one by one. The four boaters were then flown to a nearby home, where they were met by an ambulance from the Marin County Fire Department. Their condition as of Monday afternoon was unclear. A video of the rescue shows the four boaters being rescued. One of those being airlifted from the water appears to tell the crewman that the group had been stranded in the bay for about 45 minutes.

The Garfield Heights Police Department said its officers were notified that a black GMC Acadia was stolen in a carjacking in Cleveland by three armed suspects on May 7. The carjacking victim was pistol-whipped during the robbery, GHPD stated. Officers spotted the stolen GMC heading eastbound on Granger Road through Garfield Heights, according to GHPD. GHPD said the GMC drove away from officers, who pursued it through Maple Heights to Broadway Avenue and McCracken Road, where a train boxed in the GMC. “It was around 6 o’clock. I noticed, so we’ll hear like sirens and stuff,” Mahmoud explained. “I just happened to look in the back of the store and the train tracks were swarmed with cop cars. I seen an SUV like it was turned some type of way.” Body camera footage shared by the Garfield Heights Police Department showed the moment the suspects were caught and taken into custody. They were then turned over to the Cleveland Division of Police with additional charges pending through Garfield Heights, according to GHPD. Four firearms were recovered from the GMC, GHPD stated, two of which were stolen.

According to the Redding Police Department (RPD), the shooting occurred at 4:11 p.m. on Wednesday, April 10, near Hartnell and East Cypress avenues in Redding. Before the shooting, they say RPD Park Rangers spoke with two men allegedly trespassing on an undeveloped property just below the Jiffy Lube business on Cypress Ave. and Lowden Lane. However, police say one of the men, identified as Bailey, became agitated during the encounter and began making threats and even threw a rock at officers. After the rock throwing, the RPD says Park Rangers decided to arrest Bailey for assault with a deadly weapon. Officers then reportedly noticed Bailey holding a knife, which they then reported to other officers and dispatch for additional support. Police say Bailey then ran from the two Park Rangers east on Cypress Ave. while holding a knife in his hand. A school resource officer, reportedly filling up his cruiser at a gas station across the street, heard the call come over the radio and drove over to assist. The RPD says the officer then ordered Bailey to drop the knife, but he ignored commands and forced a violent confrontation, resulting in the officer shooting Bailey. The confrontation was not captured on the officer's body-worn camera, according to Redding Police Administration Lieutenant Tim Renault, because the camera was in "sleep mode." While in sleep mode, Lt. Renault says the camera does not actively record. "This is the first officer-involved critical incident where officers were equipped with body-worn cameras," Lt. Renault said in the department's Critical Incident Briefing Video. "Since the incident, the policy has been amended to prevent the use of 'sleep mode' while an officer's in the field. This will ensure that any future officer-involved critical incidents will be captured." The RPD says emergency aid was immediately rendered by officers, and Bailey was taken to a local hospital for gunshot wounds to his torso and right arm. He was eventually medically cleared and transported to the Shasta County Jail. A week later, on April 17, the Shasta County District Attorney's Office announced Bailey was arraigned on three counts of assault with a deadly weapon against a police officer, three counts of resisting an executive officer and three counts of exhibiting a deadly weapon to resist arrest along with various enhancements arising out of his conduct toward police.

Police have now released the body camera footage of an April incident in Turlock where officers shot a suspect. The incident happened April 10 along the 900 block of Vermont Avenue. Officers had responded to a report of a suspicious person looking into vehicles. That suspect – later identified as 37-year-old Turlock resident Corey Pollard – then ran when an officer tried to approach him, police say. When a different officer tried to stop Pollard, that's when police allege he "presented an object in a threatening manner." One officer then shot Pollard, hitting him in the right shoulder. He was taken to the hospital and then was booked into jail once being medically cleared. Police have described the object Pollard allegedly pulled out as a black piece of plastic. Pollard is still facing charges of resisting arrest and assault on a peace officer.

A Monona police officer who was involved in a pursuit that ended with a crash that killed three people on New Year's Day will not face criminal liability, the Dane County District Attorney announced Friday. According to DA Ismael Ozanne, the pursuit began at around 9 p.m. on Jan. 1 near the intersection of St. Teresa Terrace and Monona Drive after an officer witnessed an SUV turn abruptly. The officer believed that the SUV was trying to avoid him. The officer followed the SUV into a parking lot. The SUV allegedly didn't park, but instead turned around and sped past the officer onto Nichols Road. A chase ensued, with speeds reaching above 80 mph. Ozanne said the SUV traveled along Nichols Road onto Pflaum Road toward Stoughton Road, running a red light in the process. It then turned onto Agriculture Drive, then west onto Femrite Drive before making a U-turn and traveling east in the westbound lanes. Dane County Sheriff's deputies tried to use a spike strip at the intersection of Femrite Drive and County Highway AB, but were unsuccessful. The SUV then ran a stop sign before hitting a tree. According to Ozzane, video from a squad car shows the SUV's brake lights activating before the vehicle hits the tree. A fireball can also be seen. All three people inside the SUV were pronounced dead at the scene. Ozanne said none of them were wearing seatbelts at the time of the crash. A search of the vehicle allegedly uncovered two stolen guns as well as marijuana. Toxicology reports allegedly showed that the driver had Delta-9/THC, methamphetamine and promethazine in their system at the time of the crash. "In this death investigation, law enforcement’s attention was drawn to a vehicle due to erratic movements," Ozanne said. "Law enforcement’s attempt to catch up to said vehicle did not cause the crash, as law enforcement never came into actual contact with the vehicle in question. There is also no evidence that law enforcement’s attempt to use a spike strip had any impact on the vehicle’s condition such as deflating the tires."

A Colorado Springs police officer is facing a $100 million lawsuit from a man who was reportedly shocked with a Taser and paralyzed two years ago. Attorneys representing Jacob Root claim that police officer Robert Comstock violated the department’s use of force policy when he shocked Root during a foot chase, and that Comstock’s actions resulted in Root being paralyzed from the waist down. The Colorado Springs Police Department publicly responded on May 10, releasing a statement saying in part that, "after review through the deputy chief, Officer Comstock was exonerated from any policy violation or wrongdoing. CSPD stands by the findings of this internal review. Comstock remains an employee in good standing with the department, according to the statement. The department also posted a website showing more bodycam footage from Root's arrest, as well as the internal investigation report that concludes Comstock did not violate the department's use of force policy. On May 16, 2022, officers working in a multi-agency auto theft task force used a vehicle tracker to find Root driving a stolen car to a Kum & Go gas station on Airport Road, according to police records. When the officers approached Root, he fled. After a brief chase, Comstock shot Root in the back with a Taser, causing him to fall face-first into the street. Injuries from the fall left Root paralyzed. “This is about choice,” said Harry Daniels, Root's attorney. “Officer Comstock chose to ignore the rules. He chose to disregard the safety procedures. He chose to act recklessly and dangerously and, because of that, Jacob Root is a quadriplegic.” In body camera footage released by the attorney, an officer can be seen shocking Root as the suspect runs out of the Kum & Go parking lot. Root, who was running down a rocky slope, then pitches forward, face first, into the street. Comstock is heard on the body camera video requesting medical assistance for Root within seconds of using the Taser. As he is being handcuffed, Root can be heard saying, “I can’t move. Is that normal?” “After being tased? Kinda,” a female officer tells him. Daniels said Comstock violated one tenet of CSPD’s use-of-force policy by deploying the Taser while Root was in an elevated position, and violated another by not warning Root before tasing him. “You cannot shoot a person in an elevated state. You cannot shoot a person without warning using a Taser," Daniels told Gazette news partner KOAA. “He didn't warn him and shot him in the back and caused him to fall." CSPD General Order 500 requires officers to give a clear verbal warning before deploying a Taser or any use of force. The department’s standard operating procedure on the use of Conducted Electrical Weapons states that an officer cannot use a Taser on someone “in an elevated position or a location where a fall may cause substantial injury or death.” The department's internal investigation report notes that Comstock repeatedly ordered Root to stop, albeit threatening the use of a K-9 unit and not the Taser. Additionally, Comstock expressed worry for the safety of Root and pursuing officers if the chase had continued into the roadway, according to the report. Root is seeking damages from Comstock “in his individual capacity” and not from the department, according to the lawsuit. “The city has an amazing use-of-force policy,” Daniels told KOAA. “The problem is that the police officer’s not following it. That's the issue.”

The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension has released the identities of the three officers who fatally shot a woman in St. Paul earlier this week. Body camera footage has also been released. According to police, officers responded to reports of a suicide in progress in the Payne-Phalen neighborhood around 7:15 p.m. Monday. When they arrived, a woman inside a home on Rose Avenue East pointed a handgun at officers, and they shot her, according to police. She died at the scene. Officials say the 41-year-old woman died from multiple gunshot wounds. The BCA said the three St. Paul police officers, who all fired their weapons, are now on critical incident leave. They're identified as officers Chiking Chazonkhueze, Chee Lao and Yengkong Lor. Chazonkhueze and Lor have several years of law enforcement experience. Lao has three months of law enforcement experience. St. Paul police requested the BCA to investigate the officers' use of force. According to the BCA, the woman's mother called officers to the back room of the home when they arrived. The woman was there sitting on the floor and officers asked her if she needed help. The woman then "rapidly reached under a blanket" to grab a handgun, stood up and pointed it at the officers, the BCA said. The three officers fired their handguns, striking her multiple times. The officers then attempted life-saving care, but she died at the scene. A handgun and cartridge casings were recovered on the scene.

Police have released dramatic video footage from last week's shootout at a Moses Lake motel that left one officer and a suspect injured. The footage, which was taken from a body camera worn by Moses Lake Police Sgt. Adam Munro, shows Munro attempting to get 37-year-old Zachary Allen Stockton to exit his room at the Motel 6 in the 2800 block of Driggs Avenue after he and Officer Todd Taylor had been called there to investigate a domestic disturbance. During Monro's interaction with Stockton it becomes evident that Stockton is armed and Taylor then escorts a woman who had suddenly emerged from the room to safety. After taking up a defensive position behind a vehicle in the parking lot, Munro asks Stockton to exit the room unarmed multiple times, even telling him that he has "a wife and three kids" and doesn't want to hurt him or anybody else. Moments later, Stockton, who can be seen in contemporaneous footage from the dash cam of Munro's police cruiser, comes out of his room wielding two handguns and proceeds to empty the clips of both in the direction of both officers. The weapons of Munro and Taylor can also be heard being fired during the shootout and after the last round has been discharged, Munro immediately asks if Stockton has been hit, to which he replies, "yes, in the hand". Munro then tells dispatch that Stockton is down and not in custody, and that he believes he has also been struck by a bullet. Both Munro and Stockton were shot during the incident and each was taken to Samaritan Hospital for treatment of their wounds and later released. Stockton is in now in jail on multiple charges.

Austin police released body camera footage of officers shooting a man to death on April 27. Police said the audio and video released Friday were also reviewed by the Williamson County District Attorney's Office as their investigation into the deadly shooting continues. APD officers Adam Reinhart and Kai Finch were put on administrative leave after shooting 44-year-old Thomas Price at the Summer Grove apartment complex. Police said Price was asked to raise his hands and drop his gun, but reportedly instead raised his gun toward officers. Price was shot and put in handcuffs as life-saving measures were attempted. He was later pronounced dead after being taken to the hospital. According to police, Price was still holding a gun after being shot. Police said no charges are pending, and their investigation is ongoing. Meanwhile, APD said bodycam footage from Officer Peter Miller was also included in the release "to help better understand the sequence of events." Police said the incident started when they were called to the Summer Grove apartment complex in northwest Austin just before 12:30 a.m. Callers told police they saw a man walking around the complex with a rifle. Moments later, callers told APD they heard multiple gunshots and were told four to five men were being held at gunpoint. As officers made contact with a group of people in front of an apartment building, police said Price appeared in the breezeway holding a gun. Officers commanded Price to raise his hands and drop his gun, but he reportedly did not comply and instead raised his gun toward the officers. Two officers then shot Price before putting him in handcuffs and attempting life-saving measures. Price was taken to the hospital, where he was pronounced deceased.

San Jose police arrested a man early Friday morning after he allegedly shot at officers during a welfare check. Shortly before 5 a.m., officers arrived in the area of Ross and Leigh avenues for a welfare check at a residence. Upon arrival, a man armed with a gun was standing outside of the target house, San Jose police said on social media. According to police, officers attempted to negotiate with the suspect, but he fired at least one round at them. Neither the suspect nor the officers were hit, police said. The suspect eventually surrendered after a lengthy negotiation, and he was taken into custody at approximately 6:26 a.m., police said.