An officer who opened fire on an alleged shooter the early morning of July 5 did not first identify himself, according to body camera footage released by Chief Neil Noakes Tuesday.
At the beginning of the edited video, a shot an be heard in the background. An unnamed officer responds, approaching a man pointing a gun at something or someone behind a car, which police say was another person.
The officer then fired what sounds like three shots at a man identified as 21-year-old Billy Smith, before shouting, “police, get down.”
Noakes said the department has not yet ruled whether the shooting was justified, but said they released the video in order to be “transparent.”
“The choice there is, do I give commands to take the chance of this person shooting and possibly killing someone? Or do I try to protect the person that's on the ground?” Noakes said at a press conference Tuesday.
In the video, the officer is then seen yelling at bystanders to get down and firing more shots. Two more gunshots from elsewhere can be heard before both officers fired upon 30-year-old Bronshay Minter — a shooting Noakes said was in response to a weapon light pointed in one officer’s direction.
The arson investigator also said he saw a gun in Minter’s hand and the light, according to Noakes.
Minter fell to the ground, then ran south around the house. He was later transported to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The investigation is ongoing, Noakes said.
An investigation is also ongoing into at least four other people shot at the scene, and whether they were injured by police or by the two men killed by police.
The shooting occurred after Noakes said an officer and an arson investigator were responding to an unrelated call about illegal fireworks near Northwest 32nd Street and Ross Avenue at 9:20 p.m. July 5. The two were then heading to another part of the city when police say they came across an injured man walking away from another person with a gun at that corner just after midnight.
On July 5, 2023, Fort Worth Police Officers were involved in a shooting. This video provides updated information. As the investigation is ongoing, details are limited. However, this video is descriptive and meant to keep each of you informed. pic.twitter.com/hPhI9P6SAN
— Fort Worth Police (@fortworthpd) July 11, 2023
WFAA reported the families of the victims asked to see the body camera footage to get more answers about the deadly police shooting.
Noakes said the department has yet to speak with families of either of the men killed.
“What I would say to the family is we’re praying for them, for their loss, but also that we are going to conduct a very thorough investigation, and we can definitely meet with them to discuss the results of that investigation and answer any questions they have,” he said.
Bishop Mark Kirkland said he was “outraged” after seeing the footage.
“I take great issue in the fact that less than 5 seconds … he's already shooting three volleys in the back of this Black young man,” he said. “From my purview, he could not see if this young man he don't know, if he was actually a protector, if he was a standby. He hasn't assessed the scene properly.”
Kirkland said part of his service to the community of Fort Worth, specifically the Stop Six neighborhood in east Fort Worth, is meeting with police to assess incidents like the shooting.
“I don't want the excuse that police officers want to go home alive,” Kirkland said. “Well, that's good. But I don't want them to be so focused on going home alive to they're willing to take our lives so quickly.”
Got a tip? Email Toluwani Osibamowo at tosibamowo@kera.org. You can follow Toluwani on Twitter @tosibamowo.
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