DOUGLAS COUNTY, Colo. — The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office has released body-worn and surveillance footage from a February shooting in which a deputy fatally shot a man wielding a gun outside of a business, KDVR reported.
The shooting happened on Feb. 8 after deputies responded to reports of gunfire inside the venue, according to the report. The sheriff’s office video release includes 911 calls from bystanders reporting the shootings, including from one man who said he heard more than 10 shots.
The gunshots were the culmination of a fight that broke out inside the bathroom, according to the release. Radio traffic shows officers were directed to the scene of the venue and told that multiple shots were being fired.
Surveillance footage shows several people exiting the building and fleeing from the venue, including a man armed with a handgun. It shows the man pointing the gun toward bystanders as an officer arrived at the scene.
The deputy got out of his vehicle holding a rifle. He repeatedly instructed the man to drop the gun. The man did not comply and can be seen on the surveillance footage turning his head to look at the officer.
Authorities later found three firearms at the scene, according to the report. Sheriff Darren Weekly defended the deputy’s actions.
“Law enforcement officers cannot hesitate in a life-threatening situation… My deputy acted to save lives, including his own,” Weekly stated.
The shooting is part of a broader investigation into violence at the venue that night, according to the report. Seven people were arrested in connection with the incident. One woman faces 104 charges, including five counts of first-degree attempted murder for allegedly shooting another woman inside the venue.
