SAN MARCOS, Calif. — The San Diego County Sheriff’s Office released body camera footage of a traffic stop that escalated to an officer-involved shooting after a suspect fired a gun in the direction of officers.
The Feb. 18 incident began when a deputy stopped a vehicle for a code violation, according to the sheriff’s office. The deputy can be heard in the video telling the driver, a 21-year-old woman, that her brake lights were out and that her license plate number was tied to the wrong vehicle. A man could be seen in the passenger seat.
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The driver cooperated with the deputy’s requests and provided identification. The officer then requested identification from the passenger.
The deputy could not hear the passenger’s answers from the driver’s side and also wanted to look at the vehicle’s steering column after noticing possible damage that could indicate the car was stolen, according to the sheriff’s office. He walked to the passenger’s side before continuing with the stop.
Video shows the passenger at first appearing to cooperate with the deputy, providing a name. As the deputy continued to ask questions, the suspect suddenly rolled up the window and moved around inside the vehicle.
More deputies, along with a Palomar College Police officer, then approached the vehicle, instructing the man to stop reaching and pulling the woman from the vehicle.
As officers drew their weapons and continued to issue instructions, several officers can be heard saying that the suspect had his hand on a gun.
As the suspect continued to ignore instructions, an officer began to break the passenger’s side window.
The man then reached down and picked up the gun before raising it toward officers at the same time as an officer deployed a TASER. A muzzle flash can be seen coming from the man’s weapon. Officers then fired multiple shots, striking the man.
Officers rendered aid to the man, but he did not survive, according to the sheriff’s office.
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