Police in Alexandria, Virginia, have released body camera footage from August when an officer shot and killed an armed man inside an apartment building. The department released the footage after the Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney reviewed the incident and ruled the officer’s actions and use of force were reasonable.
You can see the body camera video below. Warning: The following video contains imagery that may be unsuitable for certain audiences.
Police negotiators spoke to Paul Behan, 61, in the moments before he was shot three times by an officer on Aug. 12 at the Maris Avenue apartment complex.
According to police, someone called them after Behan was acting upset after he lost a job, was having marriage issues and seemed intoxicated. Behan can be seen in the body camera footage holding a rifle, which he appears to point at officers during the incident.
Behan, police said, pointed the rifle at officers right before he was fatally shot, but the view of that moment is obstructed in the body camera footage. He was pronounced dead on the scene.
The officer who shot him is a nine-year veteran of the Alexandria Police Department. An internal investigation by the department is ongoing, and will also be reviewed by the Office of Professional Responsibility and the Office of the Alexandria Independent Policing Auditor.
“We’re going to look at everything — policy, training, supervision. We’re going to look at everything,” said Raul Pedroso, Alexandria’s interim police chief. “Our policy is to protect the dignity, the rights and the safety of individuals experiencing a mental health crisis, and our policy is also to protect the public from dangerous situations.”
Get breaking news and daily headlines delivered to your email inbox by signing up here.
© 2024 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.
