SAN ANTONIO — Police have released body camera footage of an Oct. 17 incident where officials said two officers shot and killed a man after he pulled out a weapon while running from them.
The video, narrated by officials from the San Antonio Police Department (SAPD), shows two officers turning on their lights and attempting a traffic stop of a car with an expired registration along the 500 block of West Cevallos. The vehicle can be seen continuing to drive slowly until it eventually stops in a residential neighborhood.
Officers can be heard saying, "Going to jump out right here in a second," as the car stops and the driver leaps out.
The driver of the vehicle was quickly caught by police, authorities say, while the passenger, 19-year-old Richard Rodriguez, continued to be chased by officers yelling at him to stop. Instead, police say, officers witnessed the suspect pulling out a gun.
The officer can be heard yelling "Gun! Gun!," alerting the other officers of the weapon and pulling out his service pistol.
The chase continues through the neighborhood, with a patrol vehicle now assisting the officers on foot. One of the officers saw Rodriguez attempting to jump a chainlink fence near a home on Gus Garcia.
The officer can be heard yelling, "Drop it motherf***er!" as Rodriguez turns towards officers. The video makes it difficult to see what weapon he's holding, but officers continued to yell, "Stop reaching for it! Stop reaching for it."
The officers are then seen and heard shooting about 15 times at Rodriguez, striking him. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police say a second firearm was located in Rodriguez's waistband.
No one else was injured during the chase, according to SAPD.
"This is our current understanding of the situation and can change as investigators gather more information," SAPD Sgt. Washington Moscoso says in the video. "The San Antonio Police Department does not make any determinations as to whether procedures were followed until all facts are known. All officer involved shootings are forwarded to the Bexar County District Attorney's Office for review."
This is an ongoing investigation.