Alysha Duran is shot dead by cop in Westminster, Colorado, after stopping car on wrong side of road and reaching for her gun
- Alysha Duran, 46, allegedly tried to grab a gun when she was pulled over July 25
- Shocking footage captured the moment a Colorado cop fired in response
- The killing has divided viewers over whether the police officer was justified
Shocking bodycam footage has revealed the moment a Colorado police officer shot and killed a motorist after claiming she reached for a gun.
Police in Westminster, Colorado say Alysha Duran, 46, went for a gun when an officer approached her car as it was stopped on the wrong side of the road on July 25.
The panic-stricken cop immediately dashed behind her car after noticing the firearm, which is not seen in the footage, screaming ‘what have you got in there?’ before opening fire after just a few seconds.
The fatal shot fired through her rear driver’s side window, ultimately killing Duran and finishing in the windshield of the car facing her on the road.
Viewers have been left divided by the incident, with some claiming the officer, who has been identified only as ‘N. Adams’ by police, fired too quickly, while others argued the killing was justified.
Alysha Duran, 46, was shot and killed by a Colorado police officer on July 25 after allegedly trying to grab a handgun
The bodycam footage opens with the police officer approaching Duran, asking her if she is okay and why she is stopped on the wrong side of the road
The bodycam footage begins with the police officer arriving at a bizarre situation where Duran is stopped in the road, facing another vehicle. It is unclear what led Duran to stop in this manner.
After speaking with the other driver, he approached Duran as she is sat stone-faced in her car alone. She then seems to ignore him when he orders her to roll down her window, taking several moments before she eventually complies.
When the officer tries to ask if she is okay, and what she is doing in the road, she grabbed her pendant necklace and began rubbing it. The exchange then escalates quickly when the officer spots a gun next to her.
‘After several attempts to speak with the driver, she produced a handgun,’ Westminster Police said in a statement accompanying the bodycam footage.
‘What have you got in there? What have you got in there? Oh f***,’ the officer screamed after discovering the firearm.
When the officer approaches the car, a stone-faced Duran appears to ignore his instructions to roll down her window for some time before eventually complying
After a brief exchange, the cop notices a gun in the car and screams ‘what have you got in there? What have you got in there? Oh f***’
The officer draws his gun and sprints around the back of the car, a common police technique used by police to distance themselves from perceived danger
He then draws his gun and fires out Duran’s rear driver’s side window, and the bullet passed through Duran before ending up in the windscreen of the vehicle opposite her, seen left
While berating Duran, the cop grabbed his own gun from his holster and sprinted around the back of her car, a common technique used by police to increase distance between themselves and perceived danger.
After pausing for only a few seconds, the officer opened fire, smashing the rear driver’s side window and hitting Duran. The bullet passed through her and ended up in the windshield of an innocent bystanders car.
Duran was rushed to hospital, but was pronounced dead on arrival.
At the time of the incident, Westminster Police Chief Cheri Spottke said a gun was later found in the woman’s car, and the officer who fired the shot had been working on the force for more than 20 years, according to 9News.
‘We understand incidents of this nature deeply affect our citizens, family members and employees,’ the department’s statement said.
‘We understand the concerns that arise after an officer involved shooting. It is important to remember these situations are complex and often involve tough-split second decisions made by our officers.’
The officer was placed on paid administrative leave while the shooting is investigated, per department policy.
The bullet struck an innocent bystander’s vehicle, although thankfully they were uninjured in the terrifying incident
The Westminster Police Department (pictured) said in a statement that it is ‘important to remember these situations are complex and often involve tough-split second decisions made by our officers’
When he reviewed the bodycam footage, former police officer and sheriff’s deputy James Allbee (pictured) said the shooting was justified as the officer followed proper police procedure
Some have claimed online that the shooting was not justified, and the police officer may have fired too quickly without giving Duran the chance to explain why she had the firearm.
Months before, Colorado Governor Jared Polis signed a sweeping set of gun control limitation laws, including expanding ways guns can be seized, making it easier for victims to sue gunmakers, raising the minimum age and imposing a three-day cooling off period on purchases.
The shooting was justified, however, by former police officer and sheriff’s deputy James Allbee, who told FOX31 he believed the officer remained within the parameters of a lawful shooting.
‘Based on his actions, that would be consistent with trying to gain some distance between an imminent threat,’ he said.
‘The day and age that we live in, anything could eventually end up being dangerous, and fortunately the officer was paying enough of attention and didn’t let his guard down enough that fortunately no one else was hurt.’
He added that it was ‘interesting’ to the case that Duran appeared to rub her pendant necklace before the shooting.
Source: Read Full Article
