San Antonio police release bodycam of a traffic stop that resulted in a fatal police shooting
By: 0:00 - Raw video
8:30 - Narrative
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The San Antonio Police Department (SAPD) has shared new body camera footage, providing a closer look at an early-morning traffic stop that resulted in an officer shooting and killing a 42-year-old man who they say was armed.
According to a narrated version of the footage, two SAPD officers were patrolling the south side on Southcross Boulevard when they tried to pull over an SUV with a broken taillight just after 2 a.m. on Jan. 18. An officer can be seen exiting the patrol car, asking the driver to roll down his window and asking for his driver's license.
SAPD Lt. Michelle Ramos says one of the officers "smelled the odor of marijuana coming from inside the vehicle." In the video, that officer can be seen asking the driver, Jervon Harper, when he last smoked marijuana.
"I don't smoke marijuana," Harper is heard saying. "This is my girl's car. I haven't smoked at all, I swear to God."
Harper is then asked to get out of the vehicle. Asked if he has any weapons, he can be heard replying, "No sir, there's nothing in the car."
An officer visibly begins to detain Harper, and a struggle ensues.
"I'm not doing anything, why y'all doing this to me?" Harper says.
"First of all, I can see that in your freaking pocket," an officer is heard saying. "Don't f***ing reach!"
"I'm not reaching, I'm not f***ing reaching," Harper replies.
The struggle continues, according to Ramos, and an officer's camera captures the police trying to get Harper's hands behind his back to cuff him.
An officer is seen holding scissors and yells at Harper to let go of them. Harper is heard asking, "Why you got scissors out on me, dude?"
One of the officers yells Harper has a gun, which he acknowledges is in his possession. A few moments later, as Ramos said the officers were "fearing for their lives," both drew their weapons. Officer Edgardo Valladares fires once at Harper, causing him to fall to the ground and yell in pain.
It isn't clear if he was brandishing his gun when Valladares fired, but the footage provided by SAPD shows a photo of a firearm that police say was recovered from Harper, along with drugs.
The entire encounter lasts about three and a half minutes. Authorities say Harper died after being taken to a local hospital.