Security expert weighs in on Richmond Police bodycam footage from deadly officer-involved shooting
RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — Security experts are weighing in on newly-released police body camera footage of a deadly officer-involved shooting that happened in Richmond's Church Hill. When it comes to police responding to calls for emergency mental health situations, the experts say that each response can look different because no two calls are ever the same. On Wednesday, Oct. 15, officers with the Richmond Police Department arrived at a home on East Broad Street after receiving reports about a mental health emergency. They found that 36-year-old Kyle Harris had taken his wife hostage. “What we can do is back up a little bit and make sure that people who have mental health or drug problems, or [are] in some kind of crisis ... [if] we can get services to them sooner rather than later, [that's] preferable, because that saves lives,” said Dana Schrad, the executive director of the Virginia Association of Chiefs of Police. Schrad said that, during this incident, police were faced with a number of factors that directly impacted how they could proceed with the situation. FULL VIDEO HERE: Richmond Police share bodycam video of officer-involved shooting that left a man dead “There were narrow hallways," Schrad said. "You could not see clearly into the area where the hostage was being held. And, at one point, the suspect turned off the lights.” Throughout the body camera footage, you can hear Harris threatening his wife with a hatchet, saying he will "put an axe to [his] wife's [expletive] head." Harris was yelling and cursing at police officers, who can be heard trying to reason with him. At one point, Harris can be heard saying that he would kill one of the officers, threatening to "cut one of [their] [expletive] throats." After about 20 minutes of footage, the police begin to head down the hall toward Harris. Yelling can be heard -- and that's when shots are fired at Harris. Schrad said it is that type of action and behavior that can influence police reaction, especially when others are involved. “Hostage situations cannot be prolonged, because when they are prolonged, it increases the danger to all parties involved," Schrad said. "So they made every effort through de-escalation techniques. The longer you negotiate with somebody who continues to pose a threat to the hostage and to the officers, the more difficult it is to de-escalate the situation and prevent any injury.” Harris died early in the morning on Oct. 16. The shooting remains under investigation and the unidentified officer who shot and killed Harris remains on administrative leave with pay.
VENN
RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — Security experts are weighing in on newly-released police body camera footage of a deadly officer-involved shooting that happened in Richmond's Church Hill.
When it comes to police responding to calls for emergency mental health situations, the experts say that each response can look different because no two calls are ever the same.
On Wednesday, Oct. 15, officers with the Richmond Police Department arrived at a home on East Broad Street after receiving reports about a mental health emergency. They found that 36-year-old Kyle Harris had taken his wife hostage.
“What we can do is back up a little bit and make sure that people who have mental health or drug problems, or [are] in some kind of crisis ... [if] we can get services to them sooner rather than later, [that's] preferable, because that saves lives,” said Dana Schrad, the executive director of the Virginia Association of Chiefs of Police.
Schrad said that, during this incident, police were faced with a number of factors that directly impacted how they could proceed with the situation.
“There were narrow hallways," Schrad said. "You could not see clearly into the area where the hostage was being held. And, at one point, the suspect turned off the lights.”
Throughout the body camera footage, you can hear Harris threatening his wife with a hatchet, saying he will "put an axe to [his] wife's [expletive] head." Harris was yelling and cursing at police officers, who can be heard trying to reason with him. At one point, Harris can be heard saying that he would kill one of the officers, threatening to "cut one of [their] [expletive] throats."
After about 20 minutes of footage, the police begin to head down the hall toward Harris. Yelling can be heard -- and that's when shots are fired at Harris.
Schrad said it is that type of action and behavior that can influence police reaction, especially when others are involved.
“Hostage situations cannot be prolonged, because when they are prolonged, it increases the danger to all parties involved," Schrad said. "So they made every effort through de-escalation techniques. The longer you negotiate with somebody who continues to pose a threat to the hostage and to the officers, the more difficult it is to de-escalate the situation and prevent any injury.”
Harris died early in the morning on Oct. 16. The shooting remains under investigation and the unidentified officer who shot and killed Harris remains on administrative leave with pay.
