A Colorado sheriff’s office finally released the video footage from a fatal shooting that claimed the life of a young man. However, the attorney representing the the deceased victim claims the video proves the shooting was not justified.
The footage released by the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office stems from the Feb 8. incident. That evening, the office said deputies responded to a report of a shooting at The Main Event entertainment venue. While responding to that call, deputies received a tip about a man in the parking lot armed with a handgun.
In the footage, a deputy is seen approaching the man while armed with a rifle.
“Hey, drop the gun now!” the officer shouted, per the video. Within the next three seconds, he shot nine rounds from his rifle toward 23-year-old Jalin Seabron. He died at the scene, the report says. Police said they later arrested Nevaeha Crowley-Sanders in connection to the shooting that occurred inside the venue.
Despite Seabron not being the suspect they were looking for, the sheriff’s office still maintained their position the shooting was justified.
Douglas County Sheriff Darren Weekly claimed Seabron was pointing his firearm at multiple people and refused to comply with the commands to drop his gun, per CBS. He also claimed Seabron turned toward the deputy, forcing the cop to make a “split-second life-or-death” decision, the report says.
However, attorney Tyrone Glover says the video shows the complete opposite. First, he noted the officer is not heard in the video announcing himself as police, he told CBS News. Then, he claimed Seabron only turned his head toward the deputy which was followed by him being shot in the back. Glover argued Seabron was only focused on protecting his family, not attacking the cops.
“Jalin was in defensive mode, not attacking mode. If you look at the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office’s own policies and procedures, you have to warn someone; give them an opportunity to comply with [the] warning. You have to identify yourself as an officer of the law,” Glover told CBS Colorado.
Glover said he plans on filing a lawsuit against the sheriff’s office on behalf of Seabron’s family.