By Noelle Phillips
The Denver Post
ARAPAHOE COUNTY, Colo. — The Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office has released video footage of a fatal shooting in October that happened outside its headquarters when two deputies shot and killed a former colleague.
The video footage, recorded by a security camera and two deputy body cameras, shows an up-close and graphic shooting followed by deputies who clearly were shaken when they realized they had killed a former deputy.
“I’m sorry, dude,” Sgt. Bruce Walker said to another deputy.
The other deputy asked, “You worked with him and everything?”.
“Yeah, he was going to shoot us,” Walker said. “He was not going to let that gun go, dude.”
Earlier this week, the 18th Judicial District Attorney’s Office cleared deputies Buddy Gillespie and Matthew Schambow of criminal wrongdoing. Walker did not fire his weapons during the encounter. The sheriff’s office also cleared the deputies of any policy violations. All three have returned to work, said Julie Brooks, a sheriff’s spokeswoman.
The video footage was made public because the case has been closed.
On Oct. 29, 40-year-old Mark Bidon drove to the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office in Centennial at 9:36 p.m. and parked his car outside the employee exit. Bidon was a former deputy who had resigned from the department in 2010.
Gillespie, who was leaving the sheriff’s headquarters, was the first to encounter Bidon. When Gillespie asked Bidon what he was doing, the former deputy replied, “I’m here for my orders.”
Bidon was carrying a loaded 9mm Glock pistol. He had a blank, vacant stare. At first, he followed Gillespie’s orders to keep his hands on the steering wheel.
Walker was the next deputy to arrive, and he reached into the open car window to grab the gun. In a quick tussle over the gun, Walker can be heard on the video saying, “Mark, what are you doing? Mark. Mark. Mark. Please.”
At the same time, Gillespie repeatedly screams, “Don’t!” before he begins shooting his .40-caliber gun. Gillespie fired seven times.
Schambow, who had approached from the passenger side, fired twice.
After the shooting, the deputies opened the passenger side door to find Bidon slumped across the front seat.
One of them said, “Who is this guy?” And then, “Oh my God, he’s wearing a (expletive) police belt.”
The deputies pulled Bidon from the car, handcuffed him and began CPR.
Investigators have not been able to determine why Bidon drove to the sheriff’s office with the gun. Tests for alcohol and drugs were negative.
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