Mesa Police Release Body Camera Video In Daniel Shaver's Shooting

By Jimmy Jenkins
Published: Thursday, December 7, 2017 - 9:57pm
Updated: Friday, December 8, 2017 - 9:47am
EDITOR'S NOTE: A portion of this video has been omitted by KJZZ for graphic content. Viewer discretion advised.
 

The Mesa Police Department released two videos Thursday evening showing the fatal shooting of Daniel Shaver in a Mesa hotel in January 2016.

The body-camera videos, released several hours after Officer Philip Brailsford was cleared of second-degree murder charges in Maricopa County Superior Court, appear to show Shaver’s hand reaching for his waist. In both videos, it is impossible to see Shaver’s hand at the moment before Brailsford fired. Brailsford has testified that he feared Shaver was reaching for a weapon.

Shaver and a woman were unresponsive to officers who demanded they come out of their room. Once the two emerge from their room into the hotel’s hallway, the videos show police ordering them to get on the ground. An officer is heard saying, “If you make a mistake, there is a very severe possibility you are both going to get shot."

The woman is then taken into custody and Shaver, who had been lying face-down on the floor per the officers’ instructions, is ordered to his knees. Officers then order Shaver to put his hands straight in the air. An officer can be heard saying, “Shut up! I'm not here to be tactful and diplomatic with you — you listen — you obey. If you move, we are going to consider that a threat, and we are going to deal with it and you may not survive it. Do you understand that?”

Shaver says, “Yes, sir” and is audibly sobbing as he crawls forward. One of the videos then shows Shaver appear to reach his hand back to his waist. At this point the officers shout, “Don’t!” and Brailsford opens fire.

The Mesa Police Department says the officer closest to Shaver, who appeared to have the best view of Shaver’s hand and arm, was not wearing a body camera.

EDITOR'S NOTE: A portion of this video has been omitted by KJZZ for graphic content. Viewer discretion advised.