New body cam video from the Cleveland police department shows what some officers are faced with in the line of duty.
Prosecutors say the video exonerates officers involved in a fatal shooting back in March at a Cleveland duplex.
They were only weeks into working with the body cameras, when the six officers went into a tense standoff with a 64-year old man threatening to kill his wife and landlord.
The released footage begins as the officers are making their way up the stairs, and the popping sound of gunshots is heard.
Theodore Johnson, who has a long criminal record, shot one of the officers—David Muniz– right at the heart.
The officers retreat, and despite the shot to his chest, Muniz goes back in. The police plead with Johnson to put down his weapon, but he refuses.
For several more minutes, the suspect screams at the officers telling them “he wants to die” and raises his gun. Police eventually fire the fatal shot.
This piece of video ends up being a career-vindicating one for police. According to WKYC, the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor released a finding concluding that the officers were justified in their use of deadly force when they shot and killed Johnson. A grand jury also deemed their actions totally justified.
The police chief also said the officers showed “remarkable restraint” and went above and beyond the call of duty to seek a peaceful conclusion.
