Associated Press
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Body camera video of a confrontation in which police officers shot and mortally wounded a man was released on Thursday.
Columbus police released video of the July 7 confrontation between two officers and 30-year-old Kareem Ali Nadir Jones. Jones died Monday from his injuries.
Police say two officers encountered Jones walking between cars and behaving erratically. Police have said the officers fired at Jones when their conversation with him escalated and they felt threatened.
Police on Thursday slowed the video frame by frame at times while displaying it to media outlets. The video appears to show Jones with his hands up backing away from the officers, who have their guns drawn. It also shows Jones when he appeared to reach for a gun in his waistband and was shot several times by police.
A stolen 9mm handgun was recovered at the scene, police said. Witnesses said Jones wouldn’t follow the officers’ commands to get on the ground, according to police.
Jones’ sister, Marica Phipps, said she believes Jones was trying to toss the gun. She said his family wants to know why police didn’t use a stun gun when he had his hands in the air.
“Our family has been waiting to see those cams because we thought they were going to give us some answers, and we have more questions now than anything,” Phipps said.
Jason Pappas, president of the Fraternal Order of Police in Columbus, told WBNS-TV that the officers knew Jones had a gun and police training dictates that officers draw their weapons, not stun guns, when a suspect is armed.
Police say the investigation is continuing.