Bodycam footage released in Sacramento County deputy shooting of man in February
Newly released bodycam footage shows the events that led to Sacramento County deputies shooting a man during a traffic stop earlier this year.
The Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office said the shooting happened on Feb. 16 when deputies spotted a car on Elk Grove Florin Road that was linked to a shooting the day before. In that earlier case, the victim reported someone had shot at him, hitting his car with gunfire, though he was not injured.
Deputies confirmed the license plate number of the suspect vehicle, which was associated with 45-year-old Tywain Smith. Smith also matched a description of the suspect, the sheriff’s office said.
On the following day, two deputies pulled over Smith near Tiogawoods Drive. Video footage showed a deputy telling the driver, identified as Smith, that the car’s registration was expired. The man said that it was his “girl’s car.”
The sheriff’s office has said deputies saw a gun in Smith’s waistband. The video footage showed that as deputies were telling the driver to keep his hands on the steering wheel, one yelled “gun’s in his pants.”
“I ain’t touching nothing,” he replied.
Smith repeatedly denied that he had a weapon on his hip and asked to step out of the car, the video footage shows.
Deputies removed him from the car and attempted to handcuff him but Smith broke free and tried to run away.
Deputies have said Smith pulled a gun from his waistband while running, and that’s when both deputies fired their weapons at him.
The video shows Smith running away from the deputies while appearing to reach for the weapon.
One deputy fired two rounds and the other three, the sheriff’s office said. Police have not said how many times he was shot.
The sheriff’s office said deputies administered first aid before Smith was taken to the hospital for treatment. He was later booked into jail. Neither deputy was injured during the incident.
The sheriff’s office said they recovered Smith’s loaded handgun at the scene. He did not fire his weapon at deputies, the sheriff’s office confirmed.
Both deputies involved were placed on administrative leave pending an investigation.
–Daniel Macht contributed to this report.