Body cam footage released after suspect fatally shot by Huntington officer

The Huntington Police Department has released video and audio from an incident where an officer fatally shot a suspect earlier this month.

The Huntington Police Department also says the officer involved, Cpl. Keith McSweeney, was placed on leave with pay immediately following the shooting, per the HPD’s critical incident policy.

The incident happened on July 3, 2023, when HPD responded to a call around 1:40 p.m. in the 400 block of 14th Street in Huntington. Police said at that time the suspect, later identified as Ahmad Abdullah, 25, of Detroit, Michigan, was allegedly threatening to shoot the caller and “blow up” a house in the area.

Around the time of the shooting, Huntington Police Chief Phil Watkins said the first officer to arrive approached the suspect, who allegedly did not cooperate. Abdullah also allegedly claimed to have a gun and “proceeded to charge” the McSweeney.

According to HPD, at that point, McSweeney then shot the suspect and began providing medical aid to the man until EMS personnel arrived. Abdullah was taken to a local hospital, where he later died. The officer was not injured.

McSweeney was placed on leave as the investigation began, but has since been cleared to return to work. The HPD says in order to be transparent to the public, they have released McSweeney’s name as the officer who shot the suspect and have also released body camera footage and audio from the incident.

“First and foremost, we must remember that a family is mourning the loss of a loved one,” Watkins said. “We cannot help the healing process by suppressing the truth. We can only help by ensuring that the truth is brought to light.”

The HPD says the policy of placing officers involved in a shooting on leave allows them to address the occupational stress and trauma exposure of the situation and use the city’s employee assistance program to get mental health counseling. City officials say before the officer can return to work, they must be evaluated and certified by a mental health professional.