Shocking and graphic footage has been released showing police shooting a man dead after he pulls a BB gun on them outside a Texas Applebee’s.
Officer body cameras show James Bushey, 47, get riddled with bullets by two officers as he draws a life-like handgun from his shorts after being marched out of the family restaurant in the town of Palestine.
The entire encounter lasts less than two minutes, and Bushey goes from a seemingly compliant suspect to being dead on the ground in little more than ten seconds.
Bushey, who was drunk, is filmed pulling out the gun in his right hand then spinning round after reaching into his shorts while officer Kaylynn Griffin was in front of him.
But moments after his short-lived escape attempt began, sergeant Gabriel Green grabs him then pushes him away.
He immediately draws his weapon and unloads at least eight rounds into Bushey, who drops lifeless to the ground.
Griffin also fires several rounds at Bushey, then calls for assistance after he hits the floor.
A police toxicology report later showed that Bushey had a large amount of alcohol in his system – some 19 times the legal driving limit.
The footage, dated May 31, begins with Green confronting Bushey in the bathroom of the Applebee’s, where he had reportedly run after stealing beer from a nearby Walmart.
Green walks in on Bushey drying his hands in the bathroom, and tells him: ‘You’re a suspect in reference to a theft case. I need you to step out please.’
When he gets no response he tells him ‘Don’t act dumb’ and marches him out alongside Griffin.
Although he mumbles a complaint as he walks, Bushey says little else while leaving the restaurant.
But after he is asked for ID, he reaches into his shorts and pulls out the weapon – triggering the fatal shooting, which lasts around eight seconds.
According to the Palestine Herald-Press, which obtained video footage from both officers’ cameras, the officers later found that Bushey was in fact wielding an air gun designed to resemble a Colt 1911 .45-caliber pistol.
The officers called for medical help for Bushey, but he was already dead from his bullet wounds.
The shooting went before a grand jury, which decided that the officers should not stand trial.
A police toxicology report, released Thursday, showed that Bushey had 191 mg/dL of alcohol in his system – far beyond the 10mg/dL limit.
KLTV reported that they were put on light duties while the incident was investigated, but have since returned to regular work.
Speaking to the Herald-Press, captain James Muniz of Palestine Police said: ‘This was an unfortunate incident not only for the family but also for us in the police department.
‘People may ask the question: “Why did the officers have to shoot so many times?”
‘Well their adrenaline kept them shooting until they were safe. Really no officer knows how many shots they are taking until the situation is cleared.’
In the wake of his death, Bushey’s family said he was a recovering alcoholic. He had recently moved to Texas following a divorce and was trying to ‘get his life back together’.
Posts from his social media profiles show Bushey talking about his children and how he was looking for women to date in his new hometown.
KLTV.com-Tyler, Longview, Jacksonville, Texas | ETX News
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1LbRAYXJBo&ab_channel=Latestnews2
