New video footage shows the moments before and after an off-duty D.C. police officer fatally shot a man last week at the Wharf in Southwest.
Lazarus Wilson, of Dumfries, Virginia, died after the shooting. He was 23.
Cmdr. Jason Bagshaw was the shooter, the Metropolitan Police Department confirmed Friday. Police say Bagshaw opened fire after he and his wife, who also is a D.C. officer, saw a man pointing a gun at someone as the couple ate at a restaurant in the 800 block of Wharf Street SW on Saturday, July 16.
Edited video footage released by MPD shows people sitting inside a restaurant suddenly scramble to the ground. Footage from outside shows a young man walking as he points a gun and holds a bag.
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Police released footage from two on-duty officers’ body-worn cameras. The officers both can be seen pointing guns and shouting for someone to drop a gun.
“That guy on the ground’s got a gun,” Bagshaw, who is kneeling with his hands up, can be heard saying.
“He was gonna kill you,” a woman can be heard saying.
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Bagshaw’s wife can be seen on top of a person she thought was involved.
Six days after the shooting, Chief of Police Robert Contee told News4 that Bagshaw still had not given a statement to investigators.
Bagshaw and his wife were off-duty and having dinner at Bistro du Jour, on the Southwest waterfront, at about 9 p.m. Saturday when they saw a man point a gun, police said.
“Based upon what I’ve seen, you have people in the restaurant — clearly, clearly, there was a threat that they saw,” Contee said.
Police recovered a handgun at the scene and a bag containing more than $30,000 in cash.
D.C. police general orders prohibit off-duty officers who have consumed alcohol to carry their weapon or exercise police powers. News4 asked MPD if the officers had been drinking and whether they submitted to blood alcohol testing. Contee said no.
“As far as I’m aware, there were no signs of impairment or anything like that. So, at this point, there was no field sobriety test," he said.
The police chief responded to criticism from some community activists that Bagshaw had a reputation for using excessive force. Contee said he was not aware of Bagshaw ever being disciplined.
“He’s used force before, I’m certain. I mean, he’s been a member of the department for more than 15 years and that would not surprise me," he said.
Bagshaw was placed on paid administrative leave as the investigation continues. His wife’s name was not released. She was not armed at the time of the shooting, police said.
D.C. law only requires the police department to release video from body cameras of officers involved in shootings. As Bagshaw was off-duty at the time of the shooting, there was no requirement for police to release anything except his name.
