Disturbing bodycam footage shows six police officers unloading their clips on a car passenger who grabbed his gun and fired during an tense standoff in the San Diego area.
The San Diego Sheriff’s Department released video of the deadly encounter on Feb. 18 in San Marcos, where the 33-year-old passenger was killed after a routine traffic stop.
The footage captures deputies repeatedly shouting at Andre Raphael Mendez to drop his pistol during the increasingly chaotic encounter that stretches on for several minutes.
Several deputies bark commands before one forcefully smashes the passenger window with a baton.
The standoff reaches its breaking point when deputies deploy a taser, prompting Mendez to raise his gun and fire, triggering a barrage of shots from the officers.
The video includes footage from the six deputies at the scene as well as a bystander who recorded on their cellphone.
Before the shooting, a deputy with San Diego County Sheriff’s Office stopped the red Hyundai Sonata on for a broken taillight on North Twin Oaks Valley Road, according to NBC7.
Mendez gave the officer a fake name and a check of the vehicle suggested it could be stolen.