By Monica S. Nagy
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
FORT WORTH, Texas — A University of North Texas sophomore who was fatally shot by a campus police officer early Sunday repeatedly shouted “shoot me” while walking toward the officer with an ax, police video shows.
Ryan McMillan, 21, died from multiple gunshot wounds to the chest and abdomen at 1:33 a.m., according to the Tarrant County medical examiner’s office.
Police had received a 911 call an hour prior that someone was destroying property in the area of West Oak and Fry streets, officer Ryan Grelle, a Denton police spokesman, has said.
Upon arrival, UNT police Cpl. Stephen Bean, 27, found McMillan with an ax, according to university officials.
The sophomore is accused of striking at least 10 cars with an ax before Bean arrived.
The Texas Rangers, who are investigating, and the Denton County district attorney’s office approved the release of 47 seconds of the in-car video the night of the shooting.
A disturbing video shows McMillan carrying a ax in his right hand and walking around the front of Bean’s patrol car.
Bean shouts for McMillan to “back away” six times, while McMillan is seen walking toward him saying “shoot me.”
The officer is seen backing up while directing him.
McMillan tells the officer to shoot him each time he is told to back away.
Video captures the sound of at least three gunshots after McMillan starts to shout “shoot me” for the last time.
Everyone involved in the case, including McMillan’s family, were notified about the clip’s release, said Sgt. Lonny Haschel, a Texas Department of Public Safety spokesman.
The remainder of the video is still considered evidence and won’t be released until the investigation is over, Haschel said.
McMillan, who is from Fort Worth and had worked at a downtown floral shop, had turned 21 the day before.
Results of his toxicology tests could take months.
The university released the officer’s name just before the video was made available Wednesday.
Bean has worked for UNT police since Sept. 19, 2011, and is on desk duty pending the outcome of an investigation into the shooting, UNT officials said.
That investigation “is still active and we will continue cooperating fully with the Rangers until the investigation is completed,” UNT Police Chief Ed Reynolds said in a statement.
Denton officers were on the way when McMillan was shot.
Denton police asked UNT police to investigate the call because they were closer, Grelle said.
Copyright 2015 the Fort Worth Star-Telegram