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By Joanna Putman
Police1
ARLINGTON, Texas — The Arlington Police Department has released body camera and drone footage of an officer-involved shooting of a man who texted 911 saying he wanted to force law enforcement officers to kill him, NBC DFW reported.
“I know they don’t want to hurt me, but I need to give them a reason to. Will a cop’s vest stop a rifled shotgun slug?” the man asked before the Nov. 19 incident, according to the text record. “I’ll be on the front porch.”
When officers arrived at the scene, they set up a perimeter around the house and positioned themselves behind patrol vehicles in the street, according to the report.
The body camera footage shows officers commanding the man to put the gun down and requesting less lethal weapons.
Since the man was armed, APD Chief Al Jones explained that officers strategically positioned themselves at a distance down the street and established a perimeter around the residence as they sought to de-escalate the situation.
The man approached officers slowly, according to the video release, but did not drop the weapon. He then raised the gun, pointing it at officers. Three officers then shot the man.
Officers immediately secured the weapon and began to administer medical aid, according to the report. The man was taken to the hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.
“These are some of the most challenging calls we as law enforcement respond to,” said Jones. “I want to assure the public that officers go into these situations wanting to save lives. Based on everything I have seen, I believe these officers did everything in their power to try to help this young man. Tragically, he had other plans.”
Click below to see full video.
