Pineville PD release body camera footage showing death of Dennis Bodden, who bit, attacked officer
By: 0:00 - 911 call
0:54 - Photo of bit arm
0:58 - Dash cam
1:36 - Bodycam 1
3:22 - Struggle, officer bit, taser
6:06 - Fight, shooting
8:02 - Medical treatment
10:01 - Bodycam 2
11:42 - Medical treatment
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The Pineville Police Department released bodycam video on Saturday from a May shooting in which an off-duty officer shot and killed an unarmed man.
The victim, 46-year-old Dennis Bodden did not comply with 22 verbal orders given to him by police.
The encounter started outside a Food Lion off Johnston Road after an alleged shoplifting incident. The situation ended in the parking lot of an apartment complex.
Bodden was facing two outstanding felony warrants for previous shoplifting incidents at the Pineville Food Lion. Police said there had been six incidents from April to May and that both the store and the police had banned Bodden from going to the store anymore.
Bodden’s family said he was an attorney who started battling severe mental health challenges during the pandemic. His mother said he was diagnosed with bipolar schizophrenia and often was confused about where he was.
Footage from the Pineville Police body-worn camera showed Sgt. Adam Roberts approach Bodden on May 14 following a 911 call from the store for help. When Roberts approached, he identified himself as the police.
Then, Roberts shouted, “Stop! Police!” while nearly touching Bodden. Bodden turned around and screamed appearing surprised by the officer. Footage later reveals Bodden was wearing large headphones and he may not have heard Roberts.
Bodden kept walking away from Roberts while still holding a bag of groceries as Roberts continued asking him to stop and “get on the ground.”
Roberts: “This is the police. You do realize that, right?”
Bodden: “Okay.”
Roberts: “Get on the ground! Dude, I really don’t want to tase you.”
When up at Johnston Road, Bodden starts looking like he will cross the road.
Roberts: “Do not walk into traffic.”
Roberts then pulled Bodden by his raincoat back further onto the sidewalk.
Roberts: “You almost just died. Do not walk in that traffic.”
Bodden proceeded to walk into the roadway. Once in the median, Roberts then reached for Bodden’s arms and tried to put him in handcuffs.
That’s when Bodden bit Roberts in the arm. Roberts responded by deploying a taser and said, “Don’t you move!”
Bodden then got up and continued to cross Johnson Road, leaving his groceries scattered on the ground.
Both men continued to walk slowly into the Berkshire Apartment Complex while Roberts waited for backup. Roberts then moved from walking behind to in front of Bodden, shoved him, and said, “You ain’t getting away, bro.”
Then the two men started shoving each other as the second officer, Pineville Police Officer Randell Down, pulled up. Down deployed a taser but it missed Bodden and the struggle continued.
Bodden then pulled off Down’s radio and shoulder mic cable which is the moment Roberts said he felt Down’s life was in danger.
Then, the footage shows Bodden turning back to Roberts and extending his hand toward Robert’s gun. Roberts said he felt like Bodden was an “imminent threat” causing him to fire his weapon three times.
Bodden is then seen in the footage stumbling to a nearby grassy area before falling face-first into the ground.
More than 10 minutes pass from the moment Bodden falls to the ground to when EMS is seen on Down’s camera.
But one of the last words said by the officers while standing over Bodden as they handcuffed him will stand out to Bodden’s mother forever. Roberts said to Down, " I don’t want him to bite you. He’s already bitten me really bad.”
Down replied, “That’s the most important thing, bud. You’re good. You got him. The good guys always win.”
But Bodden’s mother said her son was a good guy, too.