Amid the national conversation about police wearing body cameras to capture an accurate account of their encounters, Flagstaff Police in Arizona released video of the moment a rookie cop was gunned down by a suspect on Dec. 27.
The above video, which stops just as Robert William Smith pulled out a firearm and shot Officer Tyler Jacob five times, was released following several public records requests from the media. The video, captured on Stewart’s body camera, reveals that the cop had addressed Smith calmly before the conversation turned deadly.
Stewart was responding to a domestic violence call at Smith’s house — the suspect was accused of breaking things in his girlfriend’s apartment and damaging the refrigerator, according to records.
From AZ Central:
Smith and Stewart were about to walk out the backdoor when Smith returned to his bedroom and emerged with his right hand stuffed in his jacket pocket, according to police reports. Stewart asked Smith if he was carrying any weapons as they walked outside, which Smith denied, records show.
The men spoke calmly for about three minutes, before Stewart asked to search Smith. Smith told Stewart the only thing in his pockets were “smokes,” according to the police report.
When Stewart reached for Smith’s jacket pocket, Smith turned, pulled out a .22 caliber revolver and quickly fired six shots, records show. Five bullets hit Stewart, including four in the head. The sixth bullet entered Smith’s home, ricocheted off the refrigerator and a wall before it ended up lodged in the kitchen tile.
Police are currently using Stewart’s video to piece together what happened that day. Audio from the body camera records a seventh shot about 10 seconds later, indicating the suspect fatally shot himself after killing the rookie cop.
Investigators found a .40 caliber casing — the same brand and caliber of ammunition used by Flagstaff police — near Smith’s body.
Flagstaff Deputy Chief Walter Miller said Stewart’s family was notified before the release of the video.
SOURCE: AZ Central | VIDEO SOURCE: News Inc.
