Fort Worth police share video of 2 officer-involved shootings
FWPD release video from 2 officer-involved shootings
The Fort Worth Police Department shared video on Friday of two shootings on May 16 that involved police officers.
FORT WORTH, Texas - The Fort Worth Police Department shared video on Friday of two shootings on May 16 that involved police officers.
Body Camera Video Released
Fort Worth police fatally shoot 2 suspects | FULL NEWS CONFERENCE
The Fort Worth Police Department gave an update on two deadly officer-involved shootings that happened within a few hours of one another. In the second shooting, an officer suffered minor injuries.
What's new:
Police Chief Eddie Garcia provided an update on the police shooting and shared dash and body camera video with the media during a news conference on Friday morning. You can watch that news conference in the video player above.
The chief said the first shooting happened after police received more than a dozen 911 calls and several text messages regarding a party or disturbance and gunfire in the neighborhood near 4200 Wiman Drive.
When responding officers arrived, they heard additional gunfire and spotted an adult male with a gun. He has been identified as 25-year-old Emmitt Mayo.
Mayo pointed a gun modified with an illegal Glock switch, making it a fully automatic weapon, toward police and fired at least once. An officer returned fire, killing him.
The second suspect, identified as 29-year-old Jorge Contreras, was also killed.
Police said he sped past the initial crime scene multiple times and tried to hit officers. That led to a chase that lasted about 15 minutes before police deployed stop sticks to disable the vehicle.
Officers ordered Contreras to stop and show his hands. They opened fire after he reached for an officer's gun.
A police sergeant who was hit by shrapnel was treated and released from the hospital.
What they're saying:
"No matter the circumstances, the loss of life is tragic. A family, the father has lost a son, and we recognize the emotional impact the family may be experiencing," Chief Garcia said. "Our officers had to make split-second decisions to not only protect themselves, but also the residents that live in that neighborhood. Our support and our hearts are with them and their families as well."
The chief acknowledged there's been public scrutiny surrounding Mayo's death.
"There's been quite a bit of false narrative that's been put out since this shooting. Once again, they're in pain. A lot of people are trying to piece things together. My detectives, my department works very, very hard to be as transparent as we can with you all now," Garcia said.
As with all officer-involved shootings, there will be thorough investigations. The officers involved have been placed on administrative leave, pending the outcome of those investigations.
"As I expressed before, the loss of life is significant and deeply felt in our Fort Worth community. We will continue to support the officers involved, while also extending compassion for the families in both incidents who are grieving the loss of a loved one," he said.
What we don't know:
When asked about a connection between the two shootings, Garcia said there is currently no indication that Mayo and Contreras knew each other. Investigators are still trying to determine if there was any other link.
They are also still investigating the events that led up to the gunfire prior to police arriving. About 30 shell casings were recovered.
Fort Worth Police Shootings
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Fort Worth officer-involved shootings
New video shows the frightening moments as neighbors scrambled for safety during an officer-involved shooting in East Fort Worth. Following that shooting, there was another deadly shooting just hours later also involving officers.
The backstory:
The two fatal officer-involved shootings happened in the early morning hours of May 16.
The first was in the 4200 block of Wiman Drive. Officers were responding to a call about gunfire and arrived to hear more shots being fired.
They allegedly approached a man holding a gun. Police said the officers ordered him to drop the weapon, but he ignored their commands and instead pointed the gun at the officers.
At least one officer fired shots at the suspect, killing him. No officers were injured.
Map of Fort Worth OIS scenes overnight May 16
Police said the second incident happened while police were still investigating the first.
Officers saw a white SUV speeding past them several times around 4:15 a.m., and at one point the driver appeared to be trying to hit the officers as they stood near their patrol cars.
The driver reportedly did not listen to officers who tried to stop him and sped away. After a 15-minute chase, the officers forced the driver to stop off Interstate 820 near Lancaster Avenue.
2 suspects dead, 1 officer injured after 2 shootings at same scene in Fort Worth
Fort Worth police are investigating two fatal officer-involved shootings that they say happened back-to-back in the same area Friday night into Saturday morning.
Police said the officers approached the car with their guns drawn and ordered the suspect to comply. Instead, the suspect grabbed a gun from an officer. At that point, multiple officers opened fire, killing the man.
One officer was injured in the second incident and was treated at the hospital.
The Source: The information in this story comes from the Fort Worth Police Department and past news coverage.