By Police1 Staff
HARKER HEIGHTS, Texas — Police officials have released dashcam footage of a pursuit that ended in the fatal shooting of a man.
Cpl. Shane Geers attempted to pull over Lyle P. Blanchard, 59, for driving erratically on August 30, 2016, but Blanchard fled, the Houston Chronicle reported.
The pursuit ended at Blanchard’s residence where, initially, police said a confrontation occurred before Geers fired his weapon, killing Blanchard, the Killeen Daily Herald reported. Footage shows Blanchard exit his vehicle with his left arm behind his back. He then moves his hands toward his pockets, which is when Geers opens fire.
Geers was cleared in February of any criminal wrongdoing.
The officer is currently involved in a federal civil suit with the Blanchard family, according to the Houston Chronicle. An attorney for the family claims officials were dishonest in their accounts of the incident.
Geers testified that he fired his first shot when Blanchard’s hand began to come around from his lower back waist like he was drawing a weapon, according to the Killeen Daily Herald.
“I saw his arm coming forward from his lower back waist as if he were bringing a gun out and up,” Geers said. “Although I did not clearly see his hand, I felt like he had to have a gun in it by the motion he made, and it appeared to me that he was pulling a gun on me.”
Ranger Justin Duck, who conducted the investigation and responded to the scene, testified that Geers opened fire when Blanchard reached into his pocket, not when his hand was behind his back like Geers said. Ranger Jim Hatfield, the first ranger on the scene, backed up Geers’ testimony that Greers fired the first shot as the suspect’s hand came around his back, the Killeen Daily Herald reported.
In the video,Blanchard’s hand becomes visible for a brief moment before Geers fires his first shot.
Sheriff Eddy Lange told the media at the time of the incident that a gunbattle occurred between the men. A weapon was not found on the scene, the publication reported.