“U.S. Park Police Release Body-Camera Video of Officer Shooting and Killing Turell Delonte Campbell in Downtown Washington”

Accident – death – Obituary News : U.S. Park Police Release Body-Camera Video of Officer-Involved Shooting in Downtown Washington

The U.S. Park Police recently released body-camera footage of an officer-involved shooting that took place in downtown Washington last month. The video shows the officer yelling as he is also shot, although not fatally.

The video does not clearly depict the officer or the man involved in the shooting, but multiple gunshots can be heard. According to Park Police Sgt. Thomas Twiname, this is the second time the agency has released video footage since adopting body cameras.

The incident occurred on November 22 at around 2:30 p.m. in the 1100 block of M Street. According to a voice-over in the video, three Park Police officers witnessed a possible “drug violation” in Burke Park, a small park located between Massachusetts Avenue, L Street, and 12th Street NW. One of the officers attempted to engage with one of the individuals at the intersection of 12th and Massachusetts, but the man fled on foot, eventually turning onto M Street.

In the video, the officer chasing the man on foot gets close and shouts, “Get down, you’re gonna get hurt,” to which the man replies, “No, I’m not.” The officer then demands to see the man’s hands, and a gun can be seen in the man’s right hand as he appears to turn towards the officer.

Shots are fired, but it is not clear from the video who fired them. The officer’s camera indicates that he is on the ground, but the shots continue. The officer can be heard yelling, “I’ve been shot, 12th and M! Send a helicopter, please.” The camera remains pointed towards the ground, and the other man involved is not visible.

Both men received assistance from officers and paramedics. The officer sustained multiple gunshot wounds to the torso and leg but survived the incident. The man who died has been identified as Turell Delonte Campbell, a 30-year-old resident of Northeast Washington. The criminal investigation of the shooting is being handled by the D.C. police, while the administrative investigation is being conducted by the federal Interior Department, the parent agency of the Park Police.

The decision to adopt body cameras came after the fatal shooting of Bijan Ghaisar in November 2017. Ghaisar, an unarmed motorist, repeatedly drove away from two officers who did not have body cameras or in-car cameras. The shooting was captured by a Fairfax County police cruiser equipped with an in-car camera, leading to charges against the officers, who were later cleared of manslaughter.

Former Park Police Chief Pamela A. Smith announced in 2021 that she would implement body cameras during her tenure. She retired from the Park Police in 2022, joined the D.C. police a month later, and recently became the D.C. police chief.

The release of this body-camera footage is part of the U.S. Park Police’s commitment to transparency and accountability in its operations. The video provides a glimpse into the tragic events that unfolded on that day in November, and serves as a reminder of the risks faced by law enforcement officers in the line of duty..