DETROIT – Detroit Police have released body cam footage of an officer-involved shooting of an Ohio man last month on the city’s east side.
DPD released the footage on their YouTube page on Saturday night, 30 days after the incident, looking to show what led to the Youngstown, Ohio man being shot.
The footage from the night of Sept. 18 shows Jarelle Burt, who was in town to attend a funeral and had no prior ties to Detroit, leaving a bar around 10:30p that night.
Members of the gang intelligence unit were conducting an investigation when they spotted him in a parking lot along with a group of women, all holding drinks.
The video shows an officer approaching Burt when he drops his drink and runs.
“You’re gonna get shot motherf-----,” the unnamed officer yells as he chases Burt through the streets. “You’re going to get f---ing shot!”
According to police, Burt appeared to be armed. The officer screams multiple times for Burt to drop his weapon in the video.
The officer eventually corners Burt, who is off camera, and tells him to put his hands up. Instead, Burt – according to police – attempts to toss the gun onto the roof of a building and the officer shoots him six times in the process.
“Unfortunately, he picked that gun up, turned toward officers,” Detroit Police Assistant Chief Charles Fitzgerald said on Sept. 18. “That’s not the best thing to do, unfortunately.”
The footage does not show Burt turning toward the officer with the gun. The weapon was eventually recovered, and Burt was taken to the hospital.
His mother, Nicki Burt, drove 240 miles from Youngstown and spent hours trying to see him.
“Usually, he’s not a Gun Carrier,” she said on Sept. 19. “He’s a good father. He doesn’t go nowhere. I know where he is at all times.”
Burt was formally charged in 3rd District Court in Detroit on Sept. 28 with felony firearm, concealed weapon, and resisting arrest charges. He has pleaded not guilty to all of them and is currently out on bond.
His next court date is Tuesday, Oct. 28. The officer who shot Burt has not been identified by the Department and has been placed on administrative leave.