Fullerton police release footage from deadly encounter where beanbag rounds proved fatal
The Fullerton Police Department released new body camera footage Friday evening that shows the moments leading up to a deadly police encounter that happened earlier this month.
In the early morning hours of March 6, police officers were dispatched to a McDonald’s located at 1341 S. Brookhurst Rd. for a report of two men standing at the entrance and acting erratically, possibly under the influence of drugs.
Video showed the officers arrive on scene, where they found a shirtless man swinging a belt and speaking incoherently. Officers attempted to get the man to drop the belt, but he refused.
Additional officers were called to the scene and one of the officers deployed a stun gun on the man, who was unaffected.
Another officer then began firing beanbag rounds from a shotgun which are deployed as a less-than-lethal alternative to traditional ammunition.
The man was struck multiple times and seemed unfazed by the projectiles until a last and final shot was fired that appeared to subdue him. He then dropped to the ground and let go of the belt and police approached him.
It was at that point that they discovered that one of the beanbag rounds pierced the man’s chest, leaving the man bleeding and gasping for air.
Fullerton Fire Department paramedics were called to the scene and responding officers rendered CPR until their arrival. They attempted to use an automated external defibrillator (AED), but the unit instructed officers not to deploy a charge.
Paramedics then arrived on scene and took the man to the hospital where he was later pronounced dead. He’s since been identified as 50-year-old Alejandro Campos Rios.
The Police Department said the videos, as well as recordings of 911 calls, were released to the public in an “effort to be transparent with the community that we serve.” It is also required by state law, officials said.
The death of Rios remains under investigation at this time, and the Fullerton Police Department is still determining if the actions of the officers were legal and in line with department policy. Those determinations will not be known until the Orange County District Attorney’s Office completes its own investigation, police officials said.
The full 17-minute “critical incident community briefing” was shared by the Police Department on YouTube. Viewers are warned to exercise caution when watching the video.
The Police Department says what’s being released is only an initial review and “our understanding of this incident could possibly change as additional evidence is collected, analyzed, and reviewed.”
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA.
