ARLINGTON, Texas — Arlington police released bodycam video on Tuesday of a fatal police shooting on Interstate 20 that happened on Feb. 8.
An Arlington police officer conducted the traffic stop on westbound I-20 near Green Oaks Boulevard after seeing the car had an illegal tinted license plate covering. During a police briefing that day, Arlington police said that based on the conversation between the driver and the officer and other factors, the officer requested the driver turn off the vehicle and exit it, but the driver didn't comply.
The officer continued giving those instructions to the driver when he reportedly saw the driver holding a gun, APD said. After giving the driver multiple commands to drop the weapon, which he reportedly refused, the officer shot the driver multiple times.
The driver, identified as 49-year-old Sean McKay of Fort Worth, was taken to the hospital, where he died.
Here is a look at the bodycam video released by Arlington police:
The bodycam video shows the officer directing McKay to exit the highway as they approached Green Oaks Boulevard, but McKay instead went the opposite way, turning left across multiple lanes of traffic to pull over on the left side.
That officer can be heard telling McKay not to cross the highway like that, and to place his hands on the steering wheel. After McKay didn't comply, the officer further told him to turn the car off and step out of the car multiple times, but McKay still did not comply.
The video then shows the officer grab McKay and continue yelling at him to turn the car off. McKay then moves into the passenger seat while the cop is still holding him by the ankle, until McKay grabs a gun. At that point, the officer backs up and draws his weapon and tells McKay to drop the gun.
"I'll kill you, put the gun down!" the officer can be heard yelling at McKay.
After both officers commanded him to put the gun down and put his hands up multiple times, McKay still did not comply, and the Arlington officer shot him three times.
The officer, an eight-year veteran with APD, has since been placed on paid administrative leave while the incident is investigated.
Arlington Police Chief Al Jones said at a press conference that this was a very stressful situation, and that officers ask residents to comply with them so they don't have these types of situations.
"I'm sure the officer wasn't thinking that he wanted to kill Mr. McKay," Jones said. "What he wanted Mr. McKay to do is comply with the orders he's given. Mr. McKay had several opportunities. He also had an opportunity to drop the weapon that he had. Those two officers pretty much begged him to drop the weapon several times and he failed to comply."
When the officers saw the gun, Jones said it became a deadly force situation.
"We don't have to wait for someone to point our gun at us before we have to take action," Jones said. "I wish we could have had a better outcome. That's why it was important to comply."
Jones said he couldn't confirm if McKay had any drugs in the car, but McKay did have a criminal background. McKay had a capital murder charge that was pleaded down to aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, as well as weapon citations and drug charges. He had previously served time in prison.
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