The Las Vegas Police Department recently released the bodycam footage of an officer-involved shooting depicting an armed Utah man who refused to exit his vehicle.
Patrol Officer Brian Kroening initiated a stop on James Michael Todora, 54, for a broken taillight, a minor infraction that in most states results in a mere citation. Todora quickly became agitated and after a brief tussle with Kroening, dove for a gun, injuring another officer on scene before being fatally shot by Kroening.
Kroening worked to calm Todora, who worried he was going to be arrested. Kroening assured him a broken taillight was nothing to be arrested over, but asked him to step out of the vehicle after learning there was a firearm inside.
“Do me a favor, just step out really quick, because I don’t feel safe with your rifle in there,” said Kroening.
Todora refused, and after claiming he was “going to shoot himself,” reached into the passenger seat for a gun.
The scene exploded into motion and Kroening fatally shot Todora, but not before the suspect managed to graze Officer Evan Hogue in the neck.
Todora died on the scene, but Hogue’s wound appeared to be non-life threatening.
(This article was a submission from freelance writer Brent Rogers)
Driver of the Jeep was agitated to a state of irrationality. Officer was MORE than reasonable..attempting to de-escalate. Fortunate the other officer wasn’t fatally injured!!
It would appear this man was going somewhere to do something and these two LEO’s just happened to stop him for a non working light.
However these two LEO’s possibly had forknowledge and intentionally stopped him under pretence to exactly de-escalate him from threats he likely made the day before = just a some thots~!
Textbook example of why we need police officers.