FORT WORTH — Fort Worth police released three videos on Monday; each shows one perspective of an officer-involved shooting last December.
The footage was released with the district attorney's permission after a grand jury declined to indict Officer Eduardo Gasca in connection with the suspect's death.
Around midnight on December 2, police responded to a robbery-in-progress call at the Gas Pipe store on Camp Bowie Boulevard. The suspect — identified as 55-year-old Gilbert Reyna — is seen in the video running out of the business police suspected him of robbing.
"When the suspect exits, he runs directly at the officer," said police spokeswoman Cpl. Tracey Knight. "He charges the officer with a bat in one hand and a screwdriver in the other."
The images show Officer Eduardo Gasca backing up as the suspect charges. Officers are heard yelling at the suspect, but in the end, Reyna didn't stop, and the officer shot him once in the chest.
Reyna was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Knight said it is not typical to have three cameras rolling on any given call, but both officers on the scene and one patrol car captured it all. Moments before Reyna exited the store, an employee escaped and was brought to the ground as standard precautionary practice.
"They gave verbal commands; they retreated when they could; and then — when there was absolutely no other option — lethal force was used on the suspect," Knight explained.
She added that about 600 Fort Worth police employees have body cameras, the majority of whom are patrol officers.
An employee at the Gas Pipe declined to comment on Monday. The Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported that Reyna's last known residence was Arizona.
"Officers have to make decisions in split-seconds... not seconds, split-seconds," Knight said.
The grand jury agreed that Officer Gasca's decision to open fire was justified.
