Arlington police release video of officer shooting knife-wielding man
ARLINGTON, Texas - The Arlington Police Department released body camera video of an officer-involved shooting last week.
Arlington police shot and killed 31-year-old Michael Bassey after they said he charged at officers with a knife at an apartment complex on April 25.
Police Chief Al Jones said officers went to the apartment complex because someone had called 911 to report a stabbing.
"I'm going to kill him," said the 911 caller.
The caller called 911 again saying that someone named Michael was talking too much.
Police later determined Bassey made that call.
When officers arrived at the apartment they spotted Bassey, carrying a knife.
Thursday, Chief Jones showed body camera video from two officers.
The officers saw Bassey looking out the window and ordered him to come outside with his hands up.
Bassey came out with a knife and ran towards officers, Chief Jones said.
"Put the kife down, put the knife down," the officer can be heard saying before a gunshot.
We don't know if this gunshot hit Basset, at the time officers also did not know if Bassey was hit.
In a slowed down version of the video, you can see the knife in Bassey's hand.
He does not stay down, he gets back up and runs away.
When officers chased him, he raised the knife and ran toward officers again. That's when officers shot at him again.
Bassey continued running toward a wooded area.
Officers deployed a Taser and a less lethal round, but neither hit Bassey.
Chief Jones says the officer who fired the first shot fired a second gunshot.
In the video you can see Bassey drop, then get back up and run in the direction of officers before falling down the hill.
As they were putting handcuffs on him, officers realized he had been hit by at least one bullet. He was taken to a hospital and pronounced dead.
"We never know who we’re going to come into contact with and what kind of mental health issues they have if they have any. We have to try to make the best determination that we can when we’re on the scene. And in this unfortunate situation, when our officers got to the scene they just had the limited information that was given to them by dispatch. They did their best to de-escalate the situation," Chief Jones said.
Chief Jones said the officers did not find a stabbing victim in the apartment, and it was determined no one was ever stabbed.
"All we could go off is the information he provided to the 911 call," Chief Jones said.
Jones is pleading with residents to comply with officer commands.
He did credit his officers for using less lethal options.
"If Mr. Bassey would have complied with our orders, we would have had a better outcome," said Jones.
No officers were injured during the ordeal.
The officer who fired the fatal shot was placed on paid administrative leave, which is routine any time officers use deadly force.
Arlington PD had come in contact with Bassey a few years ago.
Chief Jones said he left the scene of an accident that had injuries.