Police Release Body Cam Footage Of Fatal Officer-Involved Shooting
BALTIMORE (WJZ) — Police have released body cam footage of the moments leading up to the fatal shooting of an armed suspect in northwest Baltimore.
The footage shows a man, identified as Billy Lewis Rucker, running from police before he allegedly pulled a gun on an officer and was shot just after 8 p.m. Sunday in the area of Gwynns Falls Parkway.
Baltimore City Police say the deadly encounter started near Westwood Avenue, where police attempted to pull over the 33-year-old man.
That's when, police say, he and a female passenger ditched their SUV.
Not long after, she stayed behind, while he took off running through backyards, with officers on the ground and overhead.
Police say an officer in pursuit was forced to open fire when Rucker stopped running, turned and pointed a gun.
"He was armed with a real gun and a replica gun," said Baltimore PD spokesman T.J. Smith.
Carrying both, though police say he reached for the one that could kill.
"The helicopter was going around first," said Pamela Coley, who lives nearby.
Neighbors heard the search before the bullets.
"The shooting was like bang, bang, bang," Coley said. "I was like, 'Jesus.'"
From her living room window, Coley watched what came next.
"One looked like he had somebody on the ground. The other one had his gun on the person, I guess. I don't know. It was chaotic," she said.
One day later, police are still investigating and say Rucker was known to law enforcement.
Police have not yet identified the officer involved. They say the officer has at least four years on the job.
Police say the female passenger wasn't hurt.
Follow @CBSBaltimore on Twitter and like WJZ-TV | CBS Baltimore on Facebook