WATCH: Footage Of Fatal Shooting Released By Las Vegas Police

April 25th, 2018

Awake Goy

LAS VEGAS, NV – Las Vegas Metropolitan Police have released additional details and bodycam footage of a fatal officer involved shooting that occurred in the early hours of Friday, April 6. The person killed in the shooting has been identified as 22-year old Junior David Lopez. The incident occurred during a routine traffic stop, police said.

Officers involved

Officers Francisco Rivera, 28, and Padilla Mills, 23, have been identified as the officers involved in the shooting. Both have been employed by LVMPD since May 2016. Both officers fired two rounds, and both are on paid leave while the department investigates the incident.

According to a Metro release, the investigation of this incident “will focus on policy, tactics and training as it relates to this use of force.”

Bodycam footage

Officers were in the area of Madge Ln., where the shooting occurred, and were responding to a call of a suspicious person at a different location. Lopez was pulled over for speeding and driving recklessly.

The bodycam footage worn by both officers show Lopez exiting his vehicle after it was stopped at 4:44 a.m. Officer Rivera can be seen getting out of the police vehicle while ordering Lopez to get back into his car.

“Hey what are you doing? Stay in the car man. Stay in the f—— car. Don’t move. Do not f—— move,” Rivera tells Lopez.

As Lopez exited the vehicle, police say a .380 Smith & Wesson belonging to Lopez fell to the ground. According to Assistant Sheriff Brett Zimmerman, the gun had one round in the chamber, and five in the magazine. Lopez, himself, then went to his knees with his hands visible to his sides. At which point Officer Mills can also be heard telling Lopez, “Hey get away from the gun.”

Rivera then tells Lopez, “Do not move.”

The video then appears to show Lopez saying “Shoot me,” to the officers.

Rivera again orders Lopez, saying “Don’t reach for the gun man. Do not reach the gun.”

Bodycam footage shows Lopez reaching towards the gun with his right hand, while still on his knees with his left hand visible to officers. At that point Rivera fires a round towards Lopez, followed by a round from Mills, and another round from Rivera. Fifteen seconds elapsed from the moment Lopez exited his vehicle to the first shot being fired.

Two women can be heard inside the vehicle screaming during the incident. One of the women, identified as Lopez’ girlfriend, was the owner of the vehicle. The other women refused to cooperate with police, according to Assistant Sheriff Brett Zimmerman.

After the initial three shots were fired, Lopez can be seen rolling onto his back. Officers continue to tell him to not reach for the gun. Lopez then rolls onto his side, and Mills fires a second round. Forty-eight seconds elapsed between the third and fourth shots fired by the officers.

Zimmerman said that Lopez was hit three times during the incident.

The .380 Smith & Wesson police say Lopez reached for during the incident
Additional details

Zimmerman was asked if a language barrier contributed to the shooting. Zimmerman said the investigation determined that Lopez spoke English.

According to Zimmerman, Lopez and the two women spent time in Downtown Las Vegas prior to the shooting. Police have not yet determined if Lopez was impaired during the incident. Lopez’ prior police record only showed that he gave a false statement to a police officer in North Las Vegas in 2016. Zimmerman was asked if the incident can be classified as suicide-by-cop.

“He said ‘shoot me,’ our cops gave numerous commands to not reach for the weapon, he reached for the weapon after he was shot,” Zimmerman said. “I don’t know what was going through his head, but he was given ample opportunity to be taken into custody and he wasn’t.”

The shooting was the fifth officer involved shooting LVMPD has investigated in 2018, and the third fatal shooting. It was also the second fatal OIS within eight days for LVMPD. On March 29, a man holding a knife was shot and killed by police as they responded to a domestic violence call.

Source: https://patch.com/nevada/lasvegas/footage-fatal-friday-shooting-released-las-vegas-police

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