Oklahoma police have released the video footage from a fatal shooting that left an elderly woman dead.
A Bartlesville police officer -who recorded the incident with his camera phone because the department does not have body cameras- were at a local home to serve a warrant on Mike Livingston.
When no one answered the, officers began breaching the front door, only to be shot twice by 72-year-old Geraldine Townsend, with one projectile striking an officer in the face and another in the leg.
Returning fire with a single, fatal shot in a moment where milliseconds count, the officers did not realize they had been hit with metal BBs.
“Once they get into the house and order the suspect down, the other two officers go into the hallway and they’re confronted with a gun. It all happens in a matter of seconds,” said BPD Captain Jay Hastings.
After the flash, smoke and ringing subsided, the suspect was apprehended as he begged officers to let him see his mother. He was instead taken to jail, where he remains.
Serving warrants -and the often forceful manner in which they are frequently served- is one of the most dangerous aspects of police work, particularly among departments who either prefer or are forced to utilize residential confrontation rather than surveillance and public arrests. In low-light conditions, it is easy for deadly events to transpire- be they an act of legitimate defense against a threat or mistaken identification.
According to News On 6, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation is currently looking into the shooting, after which the local district attorney will determine whether or not the incident was justified.
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