Newly released body cam video shows a Prince George’s County police officer shooting a man within seconds of entering an apartment in Suitland, Maryland.
The shooting happened Feb. 1 in the 5100 block of Suitland Road. The officer who fired his weapon was responding to a 911 call about a reported break-in just before 5:30 p.m.
The time stamp on the video shows Officer Braxton Shelton fired his weapon less than 10 seconds after entering the unit in the Windham Creek Apartments.
The video shows Shelton immediately seeing 31-year-old Melvin Jay near the kitchen upon entering the apartment. Shelton ordered Jay to show him his hands, then Jay is seen moving into the kitchen toward a sink.
The video can be seen in its entirety on YouTube.
One gun shot is fired by the officer and Jay falls to the floor. Later, the video captures the officer’s explanation of what happened.
“He ran in here. He ran from me, went in here and grabbed something,” the officer is heard saying in the video.
Other police in the room rendered aid to Jay. In recorded remarks included with the video, Prince George’s County Police Chief Malik Aziz, said officers found two guns inside the apartment.
“In addition to the gun found in Mister Jay’s jacket pocket, a second gun was located in the kitchen sink, next to where the shooting occurred.”
In the video, officers are shown recovering the gun in Jay’s pocket. The Maryland Attorney General’s Office is still investigating. Shelton remains on administrative leave from the Prince George’s County Police Department.
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.
