As a Texas grand jury declined to indict the police officer who killed a mass shooter at an outlet mall in May, authorities released dramatic body camera video Wednesday of the officer racing toward the gunfire and taking down the assailant accused of shooting 15 people, eight fatally.
“This video shows how quickly a routine interaction with the public turned into a life-and-death situation,” Allen, Texas, Police Chief Brian Harvey said in a statement Wednesday. “The officer recognized the danger, ran toward the gunfire and neutralized the threat — and for his actions, the Allen community is forever grateful.”
The mass shooting unfolded on May 6 at the Allen Premium Outlets, north of Dallas, Texas.
The suspect was identified as 33-year-old Mauricio Garcia, according to law enforcement officials. Police said Garcia was armed with an AR-15 rifle.
Garcia, 33, was fatally shot by a police officer who rushed to the gunfire and confronted him, police said.
Among those killed in the rampage were two sisters, ages 8 and 11, and a 3-year-old boy and his parents.
The suspect left a trail of social media activity indicating he may have scouted the location weeks prior to the deadly shooting, according to police. A profile appearing to belong to Garcia also contained numerous references to Nazi ideology, hatred of women, racism and antisemitism, ABC News previously reported.
The body camera video released Wednesday by the Allen Police Department, warned the footage is “disturbing and recommend a high level of discretion when viewing.”
MORE: Debris from Titan submersible brought ashore after catastrophic implosion
The video begins by showing the officer, whose name has not been released, speaking to a mother and her two children, telling the boys, “Make sure you wear your seatbelts when mommy’s driving.” Suddenly, multiple gunshots erupted in the distance, according to the video.
The officer radioed in he was hearing gunfire at the outlet mall, the video shows. The officer then immediately went to his police cruiser, grabbed a rifle and began running in the direction of the gunfire, yelling into his radio, “I’m on foot. I need everybody I got,” the video shows.
“I’m moving as fast as I can to try to get over there,” the officer is heard saying in the video.
As the shooting continued, the officer radioed in, “I’m at Tommy Hilfiger. I don’t know where he’s at.”
Moments later, the officer spots the gunman firing his weapon, according to the video. The officer returned fire from a distance, striking and killing the gunman.
MORE: 2 sisters, in 2nd grade and 4th grade, among dead in mall shooting
“Shots fired by police. I’ve got him down,” the officer radioed in before moving toward the gunman, yelling, “Drop the gun,” according to the video.
Prosecutors from the Collin County District Attorney’s Office and the Texas Rangers presented evidence to a grand jury on Monday, and after reviewing the facts, the panel returned a “no bill” decision on Tuesday, declining to indict the officer on any charges.
The Allen Police Department released a statement, saying it “appreciates the hard work of the grand jury, Texas Rangers and the District Attorney’s Office by ensuring a process that helps promote accountability, community involvement and transparency.”
The police department said it has also requested a “comprehensive and independent” review of the incident by the International Association of Chiefs of Police.
“The resulting after-action report will offer insight and best practices to support future training and emergency response provided by Allen Police,” the statement said.
Dramatic body camera video released as grand jury refuses to indict officer who killed mass shooter at Texas mall originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
[ad_2]
Source link
