DC police released body-cam video of fatal officer shooting that sparked protests, arrests

The District of Columbia's police department has released body-cam footage from a fatal, officer-involved shooting in which the victim was an activist against gun violence.

The release of body-cam video on Sept. 9  from two officers at the scene later sparked looting and protests in which Metropolitan Police Department officers were reportedly hit with bottles and rocks, resulting in arrests. 

The incident, which unfolded over about 10 minutes, began at about 5:30 a.m. on Sept 1. when the victim crashed his vehicle in a McDonald's drive-thru.

The victim has been identified as 26-year-old Justin Robinson.

Police said Robinson, a so-called 'violence interrupter,' was unresponsive in the car upon the arrival of the first officer, who requested backup when he noticed Robinson was in possession of a gun.

Video appears to show him with a gun in his lap, then appearing to wake up and roll down his window as officers yelled, "Hands up, hands up."

As the officers approached the vehicle with their weapons drawn, Robinson appeared to reach out of the window and grab one of the officer’s firearms, police officials said.

At that point, about 10 shots are fired at him, the video appears to show. 

"The Metropolitan Police Department’s model use of force and training emphasizes de-escalation, proportionality, and reasonableness,” Robinson family attorney Brandon Burrell told CNN. “None of which was exhibited by MPD on the day they brutally killed Justin Robinson.”

Some of video does not give a clear picture of what happened because Robinson’s face has been blurred, a redaction that is required by law.

Family members of the  victim initially requested that the footage stay unpublished but changed their minds a little over a week after the incident Chief Pamela Smith said in a press conference following the release of the footage. 

She was unsure why the family changed their minds.

Also in the body-worn camera footage, an officer is seen approaching a car with his weapon and heard telling the driver to keep his “hands off the gun.” Multiple officers are then heard giving warnings as they get closer to the car.

The two officers involved, Vasco Mateus, who has been with the department for four years, and Bryan Gilchrist, for 2.5 years, have been placed on paid administrative leave pending an investigation, police said.

Following the incident, a gun was recovered from the scene, and police said there was one cartridge loaded in the weapon.

“It is risky and it is serious, and it is a dangerous situation for anyone,” Smith said at the press conference about the shooting. “What we want to do in this particular case is ensure that we are sharing the information that occurred via the body-worn camera footage.”

She also expressed sympathy over the matter.

“Any loss of life is a tragic outcome for the family and for our community,” Smith said. “It’s a very unfortunate situation and as you talk about it being tough for the family, tough for the officers… but it’s also tough on the community.”

She said the investigation is active and would not get into details about the officer’s use of force in his response to the scene.

“I cannot get into the thought process of the officer,” Smith said. “I was not on scene and I cannot articulate what anyone was thinking at that time.”

Andrew Parr is a former Just the News intern and a student at the University of Maryland Philip Merrill College of Journalism